Works In Progress
by Rian Moeru
Summary: When you're Jackson Darby, there is no doubt that nothing will ever be 'normal'. Trying to be who everyone expects you to be, juggling a job, school and avoiding death in an alien war, and a lot is bound to happen! Collection of oneshots and arcs, authored by myself and Toaxabineh! Ratings K-T
1. Responsibilities

**Rian: So, this is a new fic, between me and my friend Toaxabineh! It'll be a collection of oneshots between us, though there may be the occasion where I might post a oneshot that I've done on my or, or vice versa! It all depends really. Besides, I love having someone else to write with! It's more fun, since I have someone to talk to as I write c:**

 **Toaxabineh: XD So, like Rian said, this will have oneshots, and it might also have the occasional arc! Really depends on what we decide on XD Please review and tell us if you have any ideas! All these little stories will have Jack in them, because he's our fav character!**

 **Disclaimer: We don't own Transformers in any way shape or form! If we did, Rian would keep all the deep voiced Decepticons to herself -_-"**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jack couldn't believe this. The others were looking at him with such disappointment, as if he'd committed a crime...

He'd only gone to make sure Smokescreen could get back up if he needed some, he hadn't gone to cause trouble, he hadn't even meant to be seen by that Insecticon! And yet here he stood, Arcee looking furious, with Optimus not even sending a glance his way, as though he were some big disappointment!

Jack turned to his partner, feeling suddenly so very numb.

"A-Arcee...?"

A flash of angry optics.

"I don't even want to think about that stunt you pulled today. We'll discuss this tomorrow." She said, giving him a hard, cold look. "Ratchet, send Jack home."

And that was when it happened. That was when years of anger towards his mother, towards his friends, towards everything finally bubbled up and exploded.

" **WILL YOU SHUT THE FRAG UP AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE**?!"

Smokescreen, who was about to apologize for his actions, jumped at the volume the teen voice's had reached, jerking around to look at him, mouth agape in shock. The other Autobots had all but frozen, staring at Jack all optics wide with shock. Even Optimus looked taken aback by the usually calm human's outburst.

The teen in question was livid, his dark eyes sharp as he glared up defiantly at Arcee.

"You guys always put everything on me! Why doesn't Miko ever get lectured, huh?! She's the one who's always running off and getting into trouble!"

"Jack-"

"No! For once, I'm going to talk, and you're going to actually listen, partner!" He spat, making Arcee flinch in surprise. "I get it wasn't a good idea to follow Smokescreen, but believe it or not, I did it to make sure I could get him backup if he needed it! And those stupid little pranks? That was me finally, FINALLY sticking up for myself against Vince and my fragger of a boss!"

He paused, taking in a deep, haggard breath, a vein throbbing in his forehead.

"I had fun for the first time in years, and when I do, you're all jumping on me for it! I know you expect a lot from me, I get that! But why does that mean I can't still be a teenager, huh? I'm not perfect!"

"Jackson," Optimus tried this time, a concerned frown gracing his faceplates. "I-"

"No, Optimus, I'm not going to let you or anyone else try to make me feel guilty this time!" The boy turned back to Arcee. "I'm sixteen! Miko's only a few months younger than me, and when she runs out into a battlefield, you all don't yell at her about 'responsibility'! But then there's me." The boy ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that the bots still weren't listening to him. "Frag it, Miko can play her music as loud as she wants, Raf gets to race his remote cars around even when they get under foot, yet the second I even try to relax and have fun, you know what happens?"

No bot replied, and Ratchet at least had the grace to look guilty.

Jack crossed his arms, scowl on his face.

"I get reprimanded. 'Be responsible, Jack', 'you need to set an example, Jack'." The teen's hands balled into fists, something akin to sadness flickering through the boy's expressive eyes. "Even mom does it. 'Don't be like your dad, Jack'."

Anger once again took over the boy's features.

"Is it so bad that I want to act my age? You know what?! Smokescreen's the only one I've met aside from Miko and Raf who don't expect me to act like I'm an adult!"

"You're sixteen, Jack!" Arcee interjected. "At your age-"

"At my age, most other teens don't have to work a job, while juggling school grades and hiding the fact that they're friends with giant robots! I already get enough dumped on my shoulders at home, trying to help mom make sure we don't lose the house or car! I know what I did today was dangerous, but Miko does it all the time, this was only once!"

You're not Miko!" Arcee exclaimed. "She's irresponsible and careless, while you're supposed to lead and example!"

"When did I ever ask to be an example?!" Jack demanded, his whole body trembling with rage.

"Do you expect Raf to? He's suited for tech support, not field work!"

"I never said he had to take the role! Look at me Arcee, and tell me, what do you see? Do you even see me as a sixteen year old kid?"

"Of course I do-"

Jack shook his head.

"No, Arcee. You look at me all the time with this expression, like...Like you wish I was someone other than me, and you know what? I'm sick of trying to be whoever you all want me to be!"

He waved a hand at Arcee pointedly.

"You expect me to be like Tailgate and Cliffjumper!" A gesture towards Optimus. "He expects me to play guardian to Raf and Miko when you all aren't around! My mom wants to see a person who's responsible and does as told, at school I have to be the giant loser, then with Miko and Raf I have to act like an adult," He grabbed at his head. "I'm sick of it! Of everything! I'm sorry to tell you all this, but deep down, like it or not, I'm still just a teenager! I might have had to give up my childhood, but..." The boy's face suddenly softened, and he looked so...so vulnerable. "But I wish sometimes I had it...But I can't, I guess. Even here, I'm stuck playing the adult."

Everyone jumped when Jack turned on his heel, quickly heading for the nearby hallway. When Arcee made to run after Jack, a hand clasped her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to see Optimus staring at her with a stern expression.

"Optimus, Jack-"

"He needs time. We must give it to him."

"But-"

"We've all be through much today." Optimus cut in to say. "It would be wise for us all to rest and cool off."

"But...but is he right, Optimus?" Arcee asked, afraid of the answer.

Optimus grimaced.

"I believe that our young friend makes a valid point." He said in his ever grim tone. "Jackson needs time to collect his thoughts and emotions. We all would do well to remember, sooner rather than later, that he is only a youngling."

Arcee buried her helm in her servos. This was such a mess.

* * *

Jack had fallen asleep in the storage room, his head buried in his arms that were folded atop his knees, hiding from his friends. He couldn't track through the desert to get home after all.

The door to the room opened with a hiss, and a tall figure entered. The automatic lights reacted to the movement and flickered on, but Jack continued to sleep on.

"Jack?" The mech called out, hoping the teen would stir. Jack's fingers twitched, but otherwise didn't wake, only groaning and curling up tighter. Optimus moved to the teen, carefully scooping him up into his hand. The boy frowned in his sleep, nose wrinkling as he squirmed a bit before settling once more.

The tiniest of smiles tugging on his lips, Optimus left the storage room to search for a spare berth for the teen. A few cloths should suffice as his bedding for the night, since it was too late for him to return home.

As he walked along, Optimus stared down at Jack, deep in thought. He was ashamed to admit that the boy had been right about many things. Optimus expected him to behave, and when Miko caused any trouble she got away with it, but Jack didn't, because when the bots looked at him, they saw a man, not a boy only a few months older than the trouble causing Miko. And unlike Miko, who ran into trouble for the fun of it, Jack had followed Smokescreen with the intention to call for help, not run into the battle. Jack should have been praised for facing such dangers with only a hot-headed rookie to protect him- one that had left him behind to foolishly engage an army of Decepticons.

But instead, the boy had been berated...

And what Jack had said about having to be whoever others wanted him to be...the poor boy probably didn't know who he really was by now, likely having buried it deep down long ago. He should have known better than to force such weight onto the child's shoulder, he should've seen...

Prime material Jack may have been, but he was far too young to carry the burden of the title. He was only a boy, a boy who had been forced into a role he never wanted. It was shocking he hadn't exploded before now.

So deep in thought was he, that Optimus gave a slight start when Jack hummed, and dark blue eyes cracked open to stare up at the Prime tiredly.

And for once...Optimus didn't see Jack a responsible young man, but instead for what he was. A child.

"Mm...Optimus..?"

"I am here Jackson." He said, thumb gently petting the teen's head, mussing the mess of black hair.

"Am I 'n trouble..?" The teen asked, voice slurred with exhaustion. Optimus shook his helm, offering a kind smile.

"No. I am merely taking you to a suitable place to rest."

A pause, in which Jack blinked at him sleepily, processing the Prime's words. Then,

"Oh..."

Jack yawned, curling up again.

"Okay."

Optimus frowned briefly, then, making up his mind, decided to ask the youth a question.

"Do you wish to remain with the Autobots Jackson?"

Jack frowned, blinking at him tiredly.

"Hm? Wha' you mean? 'Course I do..." The boy then smiled, the expression making him look all the more youthful. "You guys're my family. Why would I leave when I love you all?"

Optimus fell silent as the teen dozed back off to sleep, observing him closely.

They would all need to come to terms with the situation. Jackson was not a soldier under his command, that he knew. And he neither Tailgate nor Cliffjumper, and could not be treated as such. Jack had said it best, this was a family, one he was part of.

It was concerning, that he had to prove to his mother that he wasn't his father. A curiosity grew in him, one that could only be satiated by the boy, but now was not the time to persist with his questions. For now, the boy deserved some well-earned rest.

Smiling softly as he entered one of the spare rooms, the Prime gently set the boy down on a pile of soft polishing rags. Ensuring the boy wouldn't fall off the pile in his sleep, he left the room, leaving the door open so that Jack could leave when he woke.


	2. No Time Like the Present

**Rian: So this is a rather lengthy oneshot! No one ever said that they had to be short ;p Also, me and Toa were considering on writing a full length story, based roughly on this idea, but wanted to see how it would go over on here first!**

 **On another note, I apologize for not updating my other stories as of late. It's been hard lately, and I lost the drive to write on my own stories. But now I think I've gotten the will to write back, and should be updating more frequently. Keep in mind though, that I write what I wish, when I wish, so it may appear more erratic compared to other writers. Even when in full swing, I rarely update weekly. It was more accustomed to monthly, or bi monthly.**

 **I simply ask that you be patient, because I'm not a cog in a machine to write on command. Like anything, I need to be in the mood for it.**

 **Toaxabineh: Yeah, so...Like she said, this oneshot is a story idea! That's why it may seem a bit rushed, because it's a very basic outline for the first few chaps, if you guys want us to write the story!**

 **So...Yup!**

 **Neither of us own TFP, because if we did, Rian would hog all the cons to herself -_-'**

 **Sorry for any spelling issues, that would be me, because I don't get along well with spellcheck sometimes!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been a bad day for the forced labor trade. Two escaped miners, a failed attempt at capturing a lost mech, and the council, who supported the trade on the down low, had cut the funding until they quelled the unrest in the energon mines.

But Primus or Unicron, or whoever appeared to finally smiled on them when they found an unconscious mech on the far outskirts of Technar. He was more on the skinny side, but was young, and would last longer in the mines than an older, frailer mech.

And so they'd lugged him all the way down to he mines, and all but threw him in. One of the miners would find him and take him to their little underground city. It wasn't like the mech could escape anyway, give the large, burly guards that were stationed at every entrance. If he _did_ try, he would be beaten senseless, and be taken to the deeper, more dangerous parts of the mines.

It was one of the little sparklings born in the mine that found him first.

The little femme poked at the mechling, confused.

"Creator! I found something!" She called excitedly when the mechling groaned, squirming at being poked and prodded.

"My little one, you shouldn't run off like that!" A voice scolded as a mech approached. "I was wor-...rried..."

The mech's voice tapered off at the sight of the tiny mechling that his daughter stood beside, dread filling his spark.

A youngling...

"Firelight, come here." He called out to the femme, who pouted.

"But creator!" She whined, approaching all the same. The mech knelt down, gently gripping her shoulders.

"I need you to go back and get your carrier, alright? Tell her to get Megatronus."

She kicked the dirt, unhappy, but ran off to do as her father instructed, while the elder mech cautiously neared the youngling on the ground.

The boy looked like he hadn't fueled in a long time, and bits of his plating were rust eaten. He was comatose, and for the most part unresponsive, but alive all the same.

At least he wasn't missing any limbs or fingers, _that_ would have made life down here hard- if not downright impossible. Shoving these thoughts aside, Digger checked the youngling for any other possible wounds. He seemed healthy, bar the rust. That would need to be taken care of quickly, before it spread to others. He tried to shake the boy awake, but it didn't do any good. The boy remained exactly where he was, seeming devoid of life if not for the rise and fall of his chest.

Footsteps behind him alerted Digger that Megatronus had arrived, and stood back up, giving him full view of the unconscious Cybertronian. The tall, bulky silver mech looked from Digger to the small, prone bot on the ground, and lifted a single brow in response.

"A youngling?" Megatronus muttered, approaching. "When was he tossed in?" The blue eyed mech asked him, knowing that sometimes others had lingered for orns in the tunnels, not knowing that they had been placed into 'labor'.

Digger shook his head.

"I don't know. My little Firelight found him here, unconscious."

Megatronus went over to the youth, placing two fingers against his neck cables. Alive. He reached out, grabbing the mechling's arm and slinging it over his back, adjusting the boy so that he wouldn't grind against his back plating along the way.

"We're returning to the city." Megatronus said in a commanding tone, voice turning spiteful at the word 'city'.

Digger nodded.

"Of course."

"Go ahead and alert the others that we have a new arrival. Prepare a berth for him as well."

Nodding, the shorter of the two ran ahead, leaving Megatronus behind. The mech sighed exasperatedly. What a time for an arrival. Just orns before the revolt...It would be bad for them, if the boy couldn't hold his own weight down here. And if he found out about the plans...it wasn't worth the risk to inform him. Not yet.

That was, if the boy even _woke_ any time soon. The poor mechling was out cold.

Likely some thugs had gotten the better of him. There was even that much to him. Skinny and spry were words that described him perfectly. Along with rusted. And yet, as Megatronus stared at the child, he couldn't help but feel the warmth of blossoming affection at the soft features of the face. He was obviously young, looking as though he was barely out of his sparklinghood. Too young to be in this wretched place.

It was very rare to find one of his age down here. The last that had been so little and been tossed in was Digger, and that was ten vorns ago. Now the 'little sparkling' was a full grown mech with a beautiful sparkmate and daughter.

This boy here, though, that he was carrying along...Megatron felt a tug on his spark, a curiosity building within his processor. He wanted to know who this little mechling was, what he was like...

And if there was something that they had plenty of down here, it was time. There would be plenty of it later, when the boy woke. Coming out of the dimly lit caverns and into a slightly brighter cavern with makeshift buildings, he made for Digger's home, where he was welcomed with open arms. Firelight all but danced about under pede, asking questions about the strange mechling the Megatron carried, while Digger tried desperately to catch his energetic little daughter and his sparkmate, Startracker, helped Megatron guide the unconscious mechling into a makeshift berth.

"So young..." He heard the gentle femme mutter, grabbing a grubby cloth to dab at his face when Megatronus placed him down.

"Indeed. Do you have any rust solvent?" He asked, gesturing to the mechling's shoulders.

"I'll check."

Megatron sat in a spare chair, and Firelight immediately jumped onto his lap. He had to grab her, lest she fall off from all the bouncing she was doing.

"Megsy! Megsy!" She chirped. "I found him! Didja know? I founds him!"

"Yes, yes, I know. You did a good job." He chuckled, fingers petting her tiny helm.

The little femme chirruped happily, nuzzling into the hand.

"Does that mean I gets to play with you?" She asked hopefully, clutching his hand.

Megatronus smiled.

"Perhaps later, little one. Right now I must stay and ensure that this mechling here is safe."

"But that's _boring_!" She complained, giving him a pouty look.

"Spare me the dramatics. There will be plenty of time to play later." Responded Megatronus with a roll of his optics. She huffed, crossing her arms, frowning at him, only to be picked up by her brown plated father and cuddled close to his chassis.

"Behave little one." Digger scolded gently, before setting her back down. "You can play with your friends for now. And stay out of the tunnels."

"Yes creator!"

As the little sparkling ran off giggling, Megatronus looked back to the mech who lay unconscious. "He appears to be in a forced stasis. Likely induced by his captors before he was thrown in here." Megatronus said, the boy not having moved an inch the entire way down. Startracker nodded, kneeling down and looking over the rusted plating on the boy's shoulders.

"He's lucky Firelight found him when she did." She commented, rubbing at the rust with a cloth. "He could have lost his arms if it spread any further."

Megatronus grimaced at that.

"I see."

"He must've been grabbed while there were no enforcers around..."

"I gathered as much." Megatronus muttered as Startracker checked the mechlings optics to see if they were responsive. "His parental units may be looking for him."

"With this much rust, I doubt he has any."

"Can his plates be fixed? Or will they have to be removed?" He said, blue optics narrowing toward the end.

"Hm...maybe a bit on his shoulders will need removal, but otherwise I think I can fix him."

"I will see to that it is removed before any contamination begins..." He said, picking up a cloth himself and dipping it into the solvent. However, he left the cloth within the cube shaped container, and grabbed the rusted shoulder, his claws digging underneath. He then proceeded to _pull_ , ripping the plates off with ease, energon pooling under his fingers.

"M-Megatronus!" Digger exclaimed, trying to stop the mech by grabbing hold of his elbow. The plate came off anyway, which was tossed to the side. The next thing they knew was the screams of a mechling in pain.

Megatronus winced, surprised to feel a nauseating twist of guilt in his chassis.

But he couldn't stop. That other shoulder plating had to come off, for the teen's own good.

"Megatronus, wait until we can get some sedatives!"

"It is better we do this now."

"But-"

Another crunching as metal was ripped away, and this time, the mechling's optics opened.

And Megatronus found himself staring into a pair of the clearest dark blue optics he'd ever seen. For a klick, Megatronus felt like he could see into the boy's very spark, and he couldn't even move as he stared at those dark optics.

For a split moment, the boy stared at him, not really registering anything, then his optics offlined as he fell unconscious once more. Megatronus stared intensely at the youth, optics hard. He'd never seen optics of that shade before.

Right now, however, that did not matter. He grabbed the spare cloth, beginning to rub away any lingering rust with great care while Digger brought over a cube of low grade energon.

The mech was also giving Megatronus quite a disgruntled look.

"You should have waited."

"We don't have any sedaives, not as of three days ago."

"What?" He asked, setting the cube down. "Who used the last of the sedatives?'

"There was an accident in the northern tunnels, and for the repairs that those who were caught in the accident needed, they had to be sedated. The repairs were necessary, as we need as many mechs and femmes as possible in three orns time."

Digger sighed, running a hand down his face.

"It feels hopeless at times." He said, staring out the window where his little sparkling was playing. A sparkling who had never seen the sun...

"But we will succeed. I am sure of it."

"And if we do not?" He asked bitterly, head downcast.

Megatronus patted the shorter mech's shoulder.

"Just trust in me, as you always have."

"And if we fail, what then?" Digger questioned, feeling his resolve weaken. "If they don't kill us all, the guards will surely-"

"Easy there, my friend. Just continue to hope and have faith."

Digger sighed.

"That is all we can do."

* * *

When Jack awoke, it was to the sounds of...fighting? Swords clashing and blasters firing... Were the bot and cons fighting again? Had he chased Miko through another groundbridge? He couldn't remembe. He groaned, blinking blearily, everything was dim, and he hurt...

But the blaster noise was so close, and he couldn't afford to remain on the hard ground. No, he had to move, get Miko and Raf out of here while he still could! He slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the pain in his shoulders. He stumbled, looking around. He was in a weird cave...

"Get down!" Someone shouted before he was forced back onto the ground when a body slammed into him as a blaster came unnervingly close to blowing his head off. Jack gave a cry of pain as his shoulders screamed in protest. The one who had shoved him down quickly stood, attacking the shooter before Jack could regain his senses. He forced his eyes to open, and the scene was not one he expected to wake to.

A femme stood, neither Arcee nor Airachnid, but rather a brightly colored yellow one, was attacking a burly mech- though he soon turned the tables on him.

Now it was the femme on the ground, large hands around her throat trying to crush the life out of her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Jack shouted, racing to his feet to help the unknown femme.

He didn't know what happened next, only that within seconds, his hand- his _metal_ hand, turned into a weapon that sent a nasty shock through the mech's body. He stared down, one hand metal, and the other a weapon with an electromagnetic pulse within it.

Once more, he became aware of the sounds of fighting, and realized there was no time to pause and find out what had happened to him. The femme he had saved coughed, getting up to her knees with a shaking hand. Jack ran over to her, slinging her arm over his shoulder and helping her stand.

"What's going on?" He asked, eyes widening when an explosion took a chunk out of the metal cavern.

"It figures you would wake right now." She said shakily.

"Where's the exit?" He asked, seeing what appeared to be hundreds of fighting mechs. "We need to get out of here!"

"We can't, not yet, little one." The femme replied as they reached a safer place. "Not until the guards are handled."

"Why are they attacking?! Aren't guards supposed to protect people?!"

"Not these ones, sweet spark. Come on, we need to get to shelter!"

Jack nodded, hurrying as fast as he could while helping Starstracker hobble along. As soon as Jack thought it was safe enough, he set the femme down against a wall, just in time to be cornered by another guard.

Jack yelped, ducking around a blade.

"Woah!"

A hand shot out, grabbing him by the neck and dragging him up, kicking and gasping. A sadistic smirk was on the mechs features as he brought a blaster right into Jacks face. What Jack did next was purely instinctual.

Sounds emanated from his arm, a blade sliding out with a metallic hiss, and Jack forced it into his attackers chest. There was gag, a dribble of energon from the mechs mouth, and Jack gave the sword a twist before pulling out the energon covered weapon. Jack could only stare in horror at what he had done, laying on top of the offlined mech, energon covering his sword and chest. He quickly turned away, purging his systems to the side of the body.

By now, the sounds had changed, the clash of swords becoming cheers of joy, and a voice broke through, calling,

"Startracker?! Star', where are you?!"

"Over here!" She called out, having sympathy for the poor mechling.

Digger turned the corner, looking relieved to see Star'.

"Where's Firelight?" She asked, worried for her little one.

"She is safe." Digger assured, hugging his mate. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"If it weren't for the youngling, I'd be scrap right now." She said, gesturing to Jack, who was wiping his mouth off. "Though...he didn't handle the after effects all too well... Where's Megatronus?'

"Dispatching the last of the guards." He said, gesturing over to where a silver mech had just decapitated an unfortunate mech.

Startracker nodded, going to Jack, who was still trembling as he was seated on the ground.

"Is...is it over?" He asked, looking pleadingly to Digger. The mech nodded, going over as well to help him up, Jack grabbing at his aching helm while leaning on this new mech for support.

"Yes, little one. I'm sorry you had to wake up at such an inopportune time."

"Better than waking up dead." He muttered, standing on stumbling legs. "Or not at all."

Digger smiled, nodding.

"I suppose. Come, your shoulder injuries reopened, let's get you patched up."

"What's been happening around here? What happened to me?" He asked, hoping he could get some answers.

"It is...hard to explain. For now, let's just worry about getting you fixed."

"I'm...I'm fine." He said, trying to shrug off the pain, yet Digger looked unconvinced. Jack felt himself being hauled to another abode, much to his chagrin. He hated having to rely on others so much, for something as basic as walking. It made him feel weak.

"Nice try. Come on."

Jack huffed.

"Fine."

* * *

Megatronus watched as the others of the city hurried to pack their sparse belongings. Relishing in their victory, he was going to ensure that the unconscious mechling in Digger's home was still alright. He didn't know why he cared so much about this child above others, but he shrugged it off.

They needed to get out of here before backup came. It was unlikely they would survive a second wave, as they were not warriors. Their numbers had played a major part in winning the mine, and many had died in the attempt. A short prayer had been said over the dead by an elder mech, the only thing that they could offer in the short time he had. The luxury of a burial for each of the fallen was something they could not afford.

And so they had to gather their things, arrange their numbers, someone would have to carry the unconscious child-

When he entered the home of Digger and his family, he froze, surprised to find...the boy was awake. The young mechling was stained with dried energon, whether his own or another, he did not know. Star' was speaking warmly to him as she fixed his ruined shoulder circuits, touching up where she could, and stemming any energon that threatened to flow free.

The kid would need a medic, if he wanted those shoulders fixed...which no one here had the money for. With a frown set into his brow, he moved over to the boy, who was distracted by Star.

"Everything alright here?"

The boy jumped a mile, immediately on his feet and stumbling back, hand changing into a blade, so surprised was he. Megatronus blinked, taken aback as scared optics stared up at him, dark and foreboding with the intent to attack should he move closer.

"S-stay away from me!" He demanded of Megatron, quivering where he stood.

"Youngling, be respectful-" Digger started, only for Jack to shove himself away from the mech.

"N-no way! He _decapitated_ a mech!"

"Who was trying to kill us!"

Anger came to Jack's face and he shook his head.

"No, not the last one. The last one was surrounded, he was asking for mercy, kneeling at your feet! I could hear him begging, but you did it anyway!" Megatron grimaced while Digger winced, confirming Jacks words. They had all heard the mech begging after the battle.

"It was necessary, youngling." Megatronus explained. "He would have called in to his superiors."

Jack glared.

"He _dropped his weapon_ , you sparkless, fragging _glitch_!"

Megatronus frown, baring his non-sharpened teeth a the mechling.

"I suppose you know everything about him, hm?" Megatronus asked him, advancing on him. "How he tormented the inhabitants of the mine? Or that he did as he pleased with many an unfortunate femme. That he intentionally starved us for orns out of sadistic pleasure!"

"And so killing him when he asked for mercy makes you any better?!"

It wasn't often that one stood up to Megatronus, let alone a teenager who was vorns younger, and it took the mech a moment to form a retort.

"A kinder fate than what would have befallen should he had been allowed to live!"

Jack scoffed.

"It makes me feel so _safe_ knowing you can kill without any thought."

Megatronus sneered, temper flaring.

"I should have known that a wretched youngling would be ungrateful that I saved his rusted body!"

Jack scowled.

"Well excuse me, but I have no clue what's going on, where I am, I woke up to the sound of fighting, had to watch people _die_ for the first time and had to kill for the first time myself! So sorry, but I'm not exactly wanting to be around someone who can act like..." A pained expression flickered across the mechling's face, his voice losing much of it's anger, replaced with the same pain on his face. "Like killing is such a normal, good thing."

The boy shook his head to himself, trying to shake off the images of the mech he had accidentally killed, and instead pushed past the surprised looking Megatronus, leaving the small 'home'.

"Where do you think you are going?" Megatronus demanded, optics blazing in the dim light. But the boy didn't listen, only leaving, silence remaining behind him.

An exit that was ultimately ruined when the teen paused at the entrance of a tunnel, seeing many branching lines. He turned around, looked them straight into the optic, and asked,

"Which one leads the way out?"

"Sweet spark," Startracker started, concerned. "You can't leave on your own, it's dangerous-"

"Well I already killed once today." The boy said bitterly. "So if I run into trouble, from what Megatronus here seems to believe, killing again will be easy."

Megatronus frowned.

"I never-"

"I'm going to leave, either way. I'm getting as far away from you as possible." He stated sharply to Megatronus. The mech now seemed insulted.

"I have done nothing but helped you!"

The boy frowned, and the next thing anyone knew, the teen had strode right up to Megatronus and was staring him in the optics. But his gaze now was calm, eerily so, and burning with an intensity that even Megatronus couldn't help but shift a little, uneasy.

"It's not because of what you have or haven't done. It's because I'm _scared_ of you, Megatronus. More than you could ever believe." He then turned, leaving through the entryway and start if down the street. Megatronus stared after the teen, who took a wrong turn down into the tunnels that lead toward deeper, more unstable parts of the mine. He gritted his teeth, turning to Digger.

"Get the others out. I'll go get the youngling before he ends up on the scrapheap."

Digger nodded.

"Of course."

Megatron balled his fist, following the teens trail. He wouldn't get very far without a guide. And there were far more dangerous things than he in the depths. He followed on, losing sight now and then when the boy would turn a corner. And then he turned yet another corner, and nearly tripped over the mechling.

The boy was sitting on the ground, back against the rocky wall, helm tipped back to rest against the pebbled surface as well. He looked almost serene, with how he simply sat there, optics shut. His shoulders were sparking again, having reopened the wounds that he himself had caused. The teens chest rose and fell gently, and Megatronus assumed he had fallen into recharge.

He reached forward to lift the boy-

"Don't. Touch. Me."

His hand stopped, mere inches from Jacks arm.

"You cannot stay here and roam this place forever." He stated bluntly, hoping the youth would see reason.

"I'd rather that than be stuck around you."

Megatronus raised a brow.

"Then why did you stop here? You could have kept going."

A shrug of thin shoulders.

"Collecting myself, I guess."

"Hmph." Megatronus huffed, watching the boy with a frown.

"Just go away." Jack sighed, weary optics peeking open. "I know you hate me."

"I do not even know you." Came the terse reply. "It's too soon to decided whether I hate you or not. Though your opinion of me is blatantly obvious."

"I don't hate you. Like I said, I'm scared of you...but I don't hate you." The boy's optics slid back shut. "I find it hard to hate most people, actually."

A long silence fell, neither speaking, Megatronus simply watching the boy as the boy continued to sit there. Megatronus was about to resign himself to a long wait when the boy suddenly spoke again, voice soft.

"I woke up, and it was to all these horrible sounds...I could hear people screaming. I could hear weapons firing, knives clashing...and then I looked around, and realized I didn't know where I was. I went to get up, and I nearly was killed...and the mech then attacked the one who saved me, and I..."

The teen's voice faded as he seemed to hesitate, then,

"Do you remember the first time you had to kill? The very first time? Were you lost and scared, confused?"

Dark optics flickered to the far wall, the boy seeming suddenly ill.

"I didn't even know I had a knife, I didn't know until...until..."

Jack lurched, Megatronus giving a slight start as the boy turned away, body shielding the sight of him purging his already empty tanks as images flashed through his mind once more.

With a motion that did not come naturally to Megatronus, he bent down on a knee and placed a servo on the youth's back, rubbing soothing circles into his back, saying nothing as the dry heaving continued. He was not surprised when the boy pulled away from him when the purging ceased.

"This part of your ordeal is over now." He said, rising back to his feet. "If we leave quickly, you'll never have to kill again. Do you understand?"

The boy didn't reply, refusing to meet his optics.

"I suggest that you follow me then, if you want to keep your current freedom." Megatronus continued. "Unless you want to be a slave for the rest of your life. Which could be very short."

He reached down, taking a gentle hold of the teen's arm..only to find that the boy was _shaking_. For a mech who had always adored and been adored by sparklings, it was startling to find that this youngling...was actually, truly _afraid_ of him.

And that...Hurt. Surprisingly enough, the boy's fear made his spark ache. For some reason, seeing this particular mechling scared of him...It bothered him more than he could believe.

Jack's optics snapped to Megatronus at the touch, but he didn't draw back.

"On your pedes." He said softly, trying to keep his voice gentle. It was harder than he thought it would be. The teen, however, wobbled, and Megatronus had to catch him to keep him from falling.

Megatron cursed under his breath softly. It seemed the boy was still recovering from the recently removed rust.

"I-I'm fine..." Jack muttered when Megatron steadied him. "Just...a little dizzy..." Megatron shook his helm to himself, carefully scooping the boy up. "P-put me down!" He demanded Megatronus with renewed vigor, struggling in the grip.

"Hush. We need to leave the mines before more guards come."

"But I can walk!" The boy whined. "I'm not a little kid!"

"You could barely stand a moment ago." He countered, walking back the way they came.

Jack huffed, continuing to wriggle.

"Come oooon!"

"Hush." He chided, easily finding his way about, having been down here his entire life. Jack scowled, squirming some more. He groaned shortly after, however, feeling that weak, nauseated feeling in his body again, the pain sharpest in his mid-section. Was he...hungry?

"We will get you energon as soon as we can, little one."

"I'm...I'm fine." Jack muttered, looking away, embarrassed.

"Enough arguing." Megatronus snapped, hefting Jack over his shoulders.

The boy yelped, struggles renewing.

"H-hey!"

Megatronus smirked slightly.

"You're such a jerk!" Jack shouted, hitting the mech's back angrily.

"I know."

Jack gritted his teeth, seeing as he wasn't going to be breaking free anytime soon. Bar the loud, earth shaking steps Megatronus took, it was quiet in the tunnels. Something that, despite his situation, he was grateful for, giving his mind a chance to think.

It was clear to him that he had ended up in the past, the proof being the fact that it was Megatron _us_ carrying him right now. He lacked the spikes on his shoulders, the red optics, and perhaps most importantly, lacked the malice that his future self had to everyone and thing.

But how had he gotten here? He'd gone through a bridge, but hat wasn't unusual...maybe there had been a malfunction?

He hadn't heard it spark though, and Ratchet wouldn't have let him go through if he had thought it unstable or dangerous. Jack mentally cursed himself for being to lazy to ride Arcee home.

Jack yelped as he was jostled, the mech adjusting him on his shoulder.

"E-easy frag it!" He complained, feeling the mech's shoulder dig into his stomach. Well, technically it was his fuel tank now, right?

Megatronus only chuckled, and Jack huffed.

"Glitch."

"I know." Megatronus stated, a grin on his face as he shifted the teen again, making him groan from the movement. The grin grew when the teen cursed him once more, and casually flicked the back of the mechling's helm.

"Ow! Hey!"

"I've never met one so young who had such colorful language."

"Yeah, well you must not have met one like me before." He muttered under his breath.

Megatronus only chuckled.

"Oh, there were never words more true."

Jack went to spit out another remark, only for Megatronus to beat him to it.

"I never caught your designation." He asked Jack. At this, the youngling fell silent, though Megatronus swore he heard the teen mumbling under his breath. "Or do you not have one? If not, I can provide one-"

"It's...Wayward."


	3. A Family Getting Bigger

**Rian: So, in this oneshot, soon to be an arc! This time, it's other Autobots coming to earth, and Jack gets to greet them all!**

 **And thanks to those who review c: It's really appreciated!**

* * *

Jack didn't know what to think when he went into base, only to nearly run into a large, unfamiliar, metal foot that was in front of the bridge. He looked up...and up...and up, finally finding a face.

It was a silver face framed by black plating, mouth set into a frown when the blue optics looked back at him. Blaster cannons mounted each arm, which had Jack more than a little nervous as he watched the mech move into the base. And he was not the only one.

There were four others. Two looked similar, aside from their different colored plating. Another, the shortest of the new group, had an easy going smile and black and white plating.

The last member had the same colors as the shortest mech, but their overall body frame and facial shapes were vastly difference. This one was marked by a permanent frown, had a taller, slimmer frame, and had a peculiar aura around him.

Jack turned his nervous gaze to his partner. "Arcee..?" He said softly, turning to the femme. She was grinning, laughing slightly at his reaction.

"Easy there, partner. They're friends."

He nodded slowly, feeling more than a little intimidated by their presence.

"Okay..."

The short mech with a big smile sauntered forward, crouching down. "Hey lil' man!" He leaned down, visor only a few feet away now. "So you're a human? Crazy..." He muttered, unable to take his pale blue optics off the small organic. He looked weird! No metal anywhere...

"W-what's so crazy about it?" He asked, backpedaling a few feet as the mechs face was inches from his own.

"That you're so tiny!" He said, gesturing to his height with his thumb and index fingers, using them to measure Jack, the teen stepping back in the event that this mech didn't realize how fragile humans were.

"Don't worry, Jazz is harmless." The other black and white mech stated, pausing, then, "Most of the time." Though Jack didn't look too sure. He shuffled around the mech, 'Jazz', going to stand by Arcee's feet.

"Easy partner." She smiled at his expense. "Jazz can be overly friend, but he's a good guy."

"He's like a bigger version of _Miko_..."

She grinned wryly while Jazz gave them confused looks.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. He gets in trouble just as much anyway."

Jack groaned. Great.

"And who is Miko?" Jazz asked, looking around the room to see if there was another human.

"My charge." Bulkhead explained. "You'll love her, she's a music fanatic like you!"

Ratchet groaned, all but banging his head against he console he was at.

"As if the humans weren't enough..!" Ratchet groaned, all but banging his head against he console he was at. Exasperation overtaking him at the mere sight of the twins. Optimus was smiled slightly, clasping a hand to the docbots shoulder in a comforting manner.

"I see you have not missed the Twins pranks, my old friend."

"Certainly not!" Ratchet scoffed indignantly, going back to his consoles to try and ignore the two. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have actual /work/ to do!"

'The Twins', as Jack had heard the two dubbed, both grinned. Jack knew the grin well by now, seeing Miko have a similar grin many times before. Instinctively, he knew that these two were going to sow mayhem around the base and outside of it, if their expression was anything to go by. Meeting with his eyes, Arcee only shrugged apologetically at what could only end up being a disaster.

"C'mon Ratchet, we know you missed us!" The gold twin said, wrapping an arm over the mechs shoulder, pulling him away from the computer. Ratchet sputtered, slapping the mech on the hand.

"Get off me-!"

The red twin laughed, doing the same as his brother.

"Yeah! Admit it, life's been dull!"

"If you don't release, I swear by the Allspark that I'll-"

"Let th' poor mech go, ya two." The tallest of the group, as tall as Optimus, barked.

"Aw, but 'hide, we're just having some fun!"

"Yer both gonna get wrenches t' the helm."

"Nah, he wouldn't do that!" Sunstreaker replied with a cheeky grin. "You wouldn't do that, right Hatchet?" He continued, a death glare being the only reply, and Jack, taking pity on the poor medic, decided now would be the best time to introduce himself.

"Hey, so, uh...I'm Jack. Not to sound rude or anything, but...who are you all?"

"We're Autobots kids." The black mech, Ironhide muttered, sending him a look. "I thought Prime said yer were smart?"

Jack sighed.

"I meant your names."

"I'm Sideswipe," Said the red mech, hand on Ratchet's face before shoving him backward to introduce himself. "Then there's Sunsteaker!" He exclaimed, pulling his brother down, only to lower himself to Jack and whisper, "Between you and me, I think I'm the pretty one here..."

A small, wry smile flickered across Jack's face.

"I heard that!" Sunstreaker shouted indignantly, jerking Sideswipe back up to meet with his angry optics. Jack chuckled while the others rolled their optics, and the mech named Jazz was chuckling at their expense.

"Already told ya mah designation!" He chirped.

"And you?" Jack asked, turning to the other black and white mech. The mech seemed to stare at him for a good long time, almost like...like he was inspecting him. And just when he thought the mech wasn't going to answer, a soft spoken voice reached his ears.

"My designation is Prowl."

Jack blinked, surprised by how soft the mech's voice was, compared to earlier. He then smiled.

"Nice to meet you.

A formal nod was his reply, and Jack thought the mechs face might as well have been set in stone for all the emotions it showed. He turned his gaze to the last mech, the one he had nearly run into earlier. The black plated mech looked him over suspiciously, then glanced at Optimus. The Prime nodded in answer to the silent question, and the black mech huffed.

"Th' name's Ironhide."

"It's nice to meet you all." He said, smiling at each of them. "Have you taken to earth well? Seen anything you like?"

"Haven't been here long enough." Sideswipe replied with a shrug. "Don't think a tiny race like you, though, can make anything we'd find interesting."

Jack frowned at the thinly veiled insult, but didn't attempt to make an argument out of it. "Hey, Bulkhead, can you tell me when Miko'll be back?" He asked casually. "I'm sure she'd love to meet these guys." He asked, wondering why she was not here already, a suspicion already in his mind.

"She got detention again for ditching class." He answered, shrugging his shoulder. "I'm supposed to go pick her up at four..."

Jack hummed, nodding. He then turned to the new comers, hoping that they would be a little more friendlier. The Prime, who had been frowning at Sideswipe, turned his gaze to Jack. He was glad that Jack had simply let the insult to his kind just roll off his shoulders. They had a lot to learn about earth and it's customes.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. It's always great to meet new bots."

Jazz smiled brightly.

"Good to here 'lil man." He said, a chuckle in his voice.

Jack smiled politely in return, inclining his head before looking at Arcee.

"So what's on the agenda today?"

"Nothing too big. An energon scouting recon, but I can do that on my own. June told me she wants you focusing on homework today, and even I'm not brave enough to try ignore her wishes."

"But Arcee..." He said, having wanted to go on a recon that didn't end up with him almost being spider chow.

The femme gave him a look.

"Do you /want/ June to be mad at us?"

The teen winced, looking down.

"Fiiiine..."

Keeping the disappointed frown off his face, Jack went to the wall to grab his backpack, pulling out a large book from his Art History class. Was it really his fault that he was putting it off? It was _art history_ god's sake! It wasn't like he could help that it was such a boring, meaningless subject!

Jazz, obviously armed with the curiosity of a little kid, leaned down. Once again, the mechs face uncomfortably close to his own.

"Wha's tha'?"

Jack frowned.

"Art history homework."

A long pause, then,

"Those words do not belong together..." Prowl said, seeming confused.

"Tell me about it." He groaned, opening the book to read from pages one-fifty-six to one-eighty-two.


	4. Special Treatment

**Rian: This is a present for ToaXabineh! She requested something on the lines of this, and it took me a bit to complete! I've been busy lately, since my darn family won't leave me in peace DX**

 **Summary: Jack has a run in with Ratchet before he first meets Arcee, allowing the doctor to show his softer side.**

The day had been going so well for Jack. He had gotten through school in one piece due to Vince's absence today, had managed to stay awake during Art History class, and his bike was still intact when the bell rang for the last class. To top it all off, he didn't have a shift at the Knockout Burger today, and bar Sierra going on a date with him, things could not have gone better.

So how could something sweet turn so sour as quickly as it had? He couldn't even remember how it had happened...but now he was laid up in a hospital bed, a nurse residing over him when he woke, to tell him that he had been in a car crash. His wounds were relatively minimal in comparison to what could have happened, but having his arm in a sling and dozens of small cuts that stung like a bitch didn't seem minimal to him. But at least he was alive to complain about it.

They guy who had run him over, ironically, was driving an emergency vehicle and was already heading toward the hospital when Jack crossed the street. He apparently hadn't seen Jack when the light switched to green and sped along, resulting in the accident. It was a small wonder that his mother hadn't discovered that he was in the hospital yet...or maybe she did and had already visited him in his bed while he was asleep and had to go back to work. It wouldn't surprise him, knowing how dedicated she was to her work, but he was disappointed that she wasn't here.

Jack was brought out of his thoughts by a light knocking on the door, and said "It's open," just loud enough for the person on the other side to hear. And in came a older man, wearing a doctors coat and...had orange hair?

"The nurses informed me that you were awake. How are you feeling?" He asked, and Jack nodded his head.

"I'm fine...my arms busted up and I'm sore, but other than that, I think I'm good."

"To which I must apologize for." The doctor said immediately after he had finished talking, a grimace over taking his young but stressed face.

"I don't understand?" Jack tilted his head to look at the doctor more clearly, seeing that a nametag read as 'Ratchet'.

"Yes...I was the one who hit you."

"...what?"

Ratchet had the decency to look embarrassed, a red tint filling his cheeks.

"It was my fault, and I will fully reimburse you for the damages." He said quickly, likely hoping to placate him before going on to explain. "I was in a hurry to help a friend of mine, and I did not see you crossing the streets when I struck you."

"What happened to your friend?"

Well, that was unexpected, Ratchet thought as he clinched the holoforms jaw. The teen was actually worried about someone he didn't know, unlike most humans he had met.

"He passed away."

Again, the teen surprised him. The boy looked down, sadness filling his eyes, fist clutching the covers that laid across his legs.

"I...I'm sorry...I didn't mean for that...if it wasn't for me-"

"Nonsense." Ratchet cutoff, seeing the dilemma. He was guilty that he had made it, and that the other did not. "It is no more your fault than it is anyone else. The only ones to blame are those who attacked him. I won't hear anymore silly ideas that his death can be laid at your feet."

"But..."

"You need to get some rest." Ratchet pointed out, seeing his heart rate going up. "I will check in on you later, as I have things I must do. I trust that you won't cause trouble for the nurses?" At he nod, Ratchet allowed himself to smile minutely, shutting the door behind him gently, then sighed. Back to work...he hoped Bulkhead hadn't destroyed his equipment while he was gone.


	5. Special Treatment: Part Two

**This is part two of the 'Special Treatment' arc! It's a late Christmas fic for Toa, so I hope she doesn't mine that's it's a little late XD**

Jack didn't know what to think at first when he found out that aliens actually existed. Even less so when he found that said aliens were giant, mechanical robots split into two factions. Other than a little kid that probably wasn't even in his teens yet, there was no one else to talk to about what he saw. He kept his nose to the ground, a sharp frown creasing his lips as he walked the streets.

This was how he ended up running face first into someone, knocking him down to the hard concrete with an 'Oof!' as the wind left him. His aft was throbbing now, a hiss of pain escaping his lips as his hands went down. Eyes squinted as they were from the pain, it took him a moment to realize that a hand was sticking out to help him up. He took it out of instinct, his sight soon covered by an explosion of color. He blinked his eyes, the bright orange a little too much for him.

"Hey, it's you!" Jack said immediately after, recognizing the man as the doctor from the hospital.

"Yes, me." He replied, chuckling. "It seems I have a knack for running into you."

"At least this is less painful than the last time." Jack replied, smiling slightly, recalling the last month or so he spent with a cast due to the car accident. "Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

"My day off." Ratchet answered. "I'm on standby of course, but in such a small town it's rare that my services are required on such short notice."

"Yeah, that's true..." Jack nodded in agreement.

"And why are you not in school?" Ratchet asked him, raising a curious brow.

"Teacher work day." Said Jack with a shrug before adding, "Well...it was nice seeing you again."

"Wait!" Ratchet called out, catching Jack by the shoulder before he could walk off. "Are your injuries coming along well? Have there been any complications? Do you need medications-"

The teen laughed as the hand was removed.

"I'm fine, really! Fit as a fiddle."

Ratchet frowned slightly. Still learning about humans, he had yet to understand their strange phrases.

"Uh...everything okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes...I must apologize for that again. Perhaps I could treat you to lunch?"

Ratchet did not expect the teens cheeks to flush red, or for his eyes to avert from him as they did.

"N-no, it's fine. You paid for everything already, and I couldn't ask for more." The teens hand clutched the strap of his backpack tightly. "I've gotta go now- mom wanted me to go pick up a few things from the store."

With that, Jack practically ran down the street, away from the doctor as if his pants had suddenly caught fire and Ratchet couldn't help but feel he had done something wrong. Perhaps he had been too forward? Or maybe the teen was shy...humans seemed much more prone to shyness than his own kind, even over the simplest of things, and this seemed to be one of them.

And to think he waited all this time for nothing...he had hoped that young Jackson would be willing to a little longer with him. Ratchet found the boy strangely...intriguing. That he had waited in the area for three days was proof enough that the human had garnered his interest, but why he had, not even Ratchet himself had no idea.

* * *

Jack stared up wide eyed and amazed as he was taken into the secret hideout of a race of giant metal beings. He was currently riding one such being, apparently a female, and as soon as he hopped off the motorcycle, she transformed into her more humanoid form, a hand on her hip casually with a not so well hidden frown of annoyance on her face. Quickly scanning the area, he found other robots- a bulky green one, the black and yellow muscle car, and an orange and white one.

He was quite surprised, however, when he instantly recognized the last mechs voice instantly.

"I thought there were two?"

"Haven't you heard? Humans multiply." Came the sarcastic reply of Arcee, who walked over to the side, away from said humans.

Jack kept his eyes trained on Ratchet, and upon seeing him, the medic did the same. A part of Ratchet was ecstatic, another afraid, and yet another part was painfully hopeful, while Jack looked to be quiet the opposite, who was apprehensive and wary. If given a chance to explain, surely he would see reason, as Lookout was not unreasonable-

Optics widened briefly, and Ratchet quickly returned to his work, now ignoring all three humans completely as his mind raced. A simple slip up, he told himself. The similarities were there, but the two were separate beings, not one in the same.

Right?


	6. Special Treatment: Part Three

**So this the third part of the Special Treament arc, for Toaxabineh! She's also helped me write this chapter, so thanks a lot for that Toa!**

* * *

Jack didn't know why, but he had been keeping clear of Ratchet ever since he had met the bots a month ago. The medic...unnerved him. he was so certain that Ratchet was the same as the doctor he had met, though he had never gotten his name. And so he'd remained clear of the mech, too nervous to approach him.

That proved difficult however, given that he know spent most of his afternoons inside the base, chatting it up with his two new friends, Miko and Raf, and sometimes with Arcee. She was cold, he thought, but after recently discovering that she had just lost her partner, it was no small wonder. He found he avoided the others mostly, finding he was nervous around the giant beings, bar Arcee, whom he had taken to more than Bumblebee or Bulkhead. None of them attempted to get closer to Optimus, the large alien leader an intimidating figure to them all.

And yet, despite all his attempts, the medic continued to try and talk with him. The others didn't understand his hesitance towards Ratchet, mainly because he hadn't told them anything concerning the medic, and he had no intentions to either. It was unlikely they would believe him anyway.

But still, it was strange to see...

Jack shook his head. Ah, why was he even thinking about this right now? Arcee said she was taking him on a recon, and he couldn't remember being so excited before. He shifted slightly where he sat, glancing around. Arcee had told him to wait here...so where was she?

"Jack."

The teen jumped, surprised at the voice. He turned quickly, dread settling heavily in his stomach, for there stood Ratchet looking down at him. He squirmed uncomfortably, and while Jack said nothing, staring wide eyed at the medic, Ratchet made no motion to leave. His mouth became dry and he licked his lips, now immensely nervous.

"U-uh..."

"Could we...could we talk?" Ratchet asked quietly.

"I..I don't..." He said, shuffling on his feet, eyes flickering toward the door.

"Please." Ratchet implored. "I just want to clear the air."

"I'm not really-"

"Jackson. Please."

The teen sighed.

"What I want to know," He started, staring hard at the medic, deciding that he couldn't not say something now. Now he wanted answers and he was going to get them, whether he liked it or not. "Is why you were following me."

A wry smile.

"Considering I accidentally hit you?"

Jack winced at the reminder.

"It doesn't explain why you followed me afterwards!" He shouted, a tick forming in his head when Ratchet sighed.

"To...to tell the truth, you remind me very much of someone."

Jack scoffed in disbelief, shaking his head.

"I doubt you know many humans, so who could I possibly remind you of?"

"A young mech I knew back before the war."

"I find that hard to believe. I'm sure your friend was at least sixteen foot high and metal with inbuilt weapons. How could I remind you of him?" Jack replied dryly, glaring at Ratchet now. Honestly, did the medic expect him to believe that?

"Well, he was roughly your age in our terms. You sound very similar, too, and you share the same bravery."

Jack shifted awkwardly.

"I-I'm not brave."

"Now, many of us would disagree with you on that."

Jack frowned.

"I'm not brave. I chase after Miko because it's the right thing to do."

"Miko is foolish." Ratchet replied instantly. "She has caused more harm than good as of late."

"She's just excited, maybe a little overconfident. But don't go saying she's a fool." Jack replied with a deep frown and scowl, not liking how Ratchet was badmouthing one of his new friends.

"She's high strung, rushes into danger and cares nothing for her safety or yours!"

Jack stood, eyes narrowed in anger.

"She doesn't realize that we aren't invincible, okay?"

"I don't see how she doesn't realize that, give your soft outer shells and frail internal structures." He huffed.

"Look, if you're just going to insult Miko, then I'm leaving." Jack snapped, turning to the door.

Ratchet looked alarmed.

"What- wait!"

"No! All you've done is insult my friends, do you think I'm going to stand here and listen to that?!"

"Jack, please-"

"Is something wrong?"

The two males looked up, surprised to see Arcee in the doorway. The femme looked confused. "No. Nothing." Ratchet said quickly, face returning to it's usual semi-grumpy expression. Arcee glanced at Jack, who only shook his head.

"It's nothing. Really. You mind if we go on that recon now?"

The femme looked as though she didn't believe him, but nodded.

"Okay. And Ratchet, Optimus wants to talk to you."

"About what?" He asked.

A shrug.

"I don't know, I'm just the messenger."

"Alright then. Take good care of Jack."

The femme nodded.

"Yeah."

"So where are we going?" Ratchet heard Jack say as he left, a scowl heavy on his brow.

The medic sighed to himself, walking on. What was he to do? Jackson wanted nothing to do with him, and he had gone the wrong way about it to get closer to the boy. Now it was worse than ever. He just wanted to be close with Lookout...he thought before shaking his head, reaffirming himself on the situation. No, he wanted to be close to _Jack,_ not Lookout.

The medic quickly found Optimus. The Prime was waiting for him in the medbay, a calm expression on his stoic faceplates.

"You needed me?" He said, hoping the Prime had not taken ill or acquired an injury. From where ratchet stood, he seemed perfectly fine.

The Prime nodded.

"Yes, I need to speak with you. About Jackson."

Ratchet narrowed his optics.

"Why?"

"I wished to ask why it is that Jack seems so...uncomfortable, around you."

"I don't know Optimus." He replied tensely. "You know I'm not good with children, or humans in particular."

"And yet you appear to be trying very hard to become close with him."

"I am not-!"

"He sounds much like Lookout, doesn't he?"

Ratchet's expression fell, and his optics turned away.

"...Yes...Very much so."

"That explains your desire for closeness, but not why he seems to fear you."

Ratchet sighed.

"I met him using my holoform a good few weeks before he met everyone else.,

Optimus frowned, confused.

"How?"

"I...accidentally hot him with my alt." Optimus stared at Ratchet, momentarily at a loss a word. Then his face became stern and angry.

"I know you dislike humans, but to go to such lengths-"

"I didn't do it on purpose! It was the day that Cliffjumper..." A mournful expression. "I was in a hurry, I didn't see the boy step out I to the street."

Optimus' temper eased off, forming becoming less tense and Ratchet breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah."

"Yeah. And I thought...he reminded me so much of Lookout, I had to see him again. I couldn't help myself." He explained, hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly before he ran a hand over his helm. "And now, he realizes that I am the same person as the human holoform he met, and I think it...scares him."

"You did withhold the truth from him, even if for good reasons."

"I know, but I want to be close with him! He is so very, _very_ much like my little creation..." Optimus frowned at this. Ratchet couldn't possibly be confusing Jack for Lookout, could he? That was a worrying thought.

"Ratchet, even though Jackson may be similar to your sparkling, they are not one in the same. You would do well to remember that."

"I know, Optimus, I _know_. But still...I can't help but want to be close to him."

Optimus nodded slowly, processing this.

"I simply...don't know how. Humans are strange, at best."

"And it appears your constant endeavors frighten him." Optimus pointed out.

"I know, but what else am I to do?"

"I...am unsure, old friend." Ratchet rubbed his temple in an exasperated way, too tired to think clearly at the moment. That little smile of Optimus certainly wasn't making him feel any better, as it felt as though the Prime was enjoying his current struggles.

"I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you will, but please stop scaring him."

"It's not my intention-"

"I know. But this method of yours so far is most certainly lacking."

Ratchet gave him a dry look.

"If you have any suggestions, I'd be all ears."

The prime only smiled.

~later~

Jack quietly snuck down he hall of the base. If he was lucky, he could get past the medbay without being noticed.

All he wanted was to play a game with Raf, like he had promised a few days ago, and it wasn't going to happen if Ratchet was complaining in his ear.

He was almost past it, just a little more...

"Jack."

Ah scrap.

"Y-yeah?" He stammered as he skidded to a halt.

Ratchet stood there, brow raised.

"Why are you sneaking about?"

"I wasn't sneaking." Jack said a little too quickly, a blush in his cheeks.

A snort.

"Jack, I helped raise Bumblebee. I know what sneaking looks like."

Jack went to reply, then paused.

"You helped raise Bumblebee? Just how old _are_ you?"

"Not your concern." Ratchet replied in a deadpan tone, not pleased at all by the teens rude question. A slight grin flickered across Jack's face, one that was not unlike the twins, of which nothing good could come from.

"Older than Optimus?'

"I said it wasn't important!"

Jack laughed.

"That's a yes!"

Ratchet huffed.

"I have half a mind to take a wrench to your head."

Jack only grinned, "I can't imagine Optimus being very pleased with you if you did." He replied, calling his bluff, the smirking growing wider when the medic grumbled under his breath.

"Younglings..." He groaned, rolling his eyes.

"You stopped me when I was passing through, so you were kinda asking for it."

Ratchet sighed.

"I suppose so."

"So, did you need something?" Jack asked, looking over to see what Ratchet was working. It looked like an overlarge telescope from where he was standing.

"I was wondering if you would help me actually." He said, fiddling with the device again. "There's a small part that I can't reach, and I need someone of your size to reach it."

Jack blinked, taken aback.

"Uh...sure."

"Thanks." The medic said, smiling gratefully as he lowered a hand for Jack to climb into.

Jack hesitated, still a bit nervous around the mech, but soon he climbed into the offered servo.

"So, what is it you need me to do?" He asked, peering over the device curiously.

"There's a piece inside that moves each time I set the scope, which puts it off kilter which in turn gives inaccurate readings. I need you to push it firmly back in place and tighten the screw so that no longer happens."

Jack had to take a second to process what he'd said, then nodded.

"Alright."

Ratchet smiled, setting the boy down on a safe piece of metal in the machine.

"How do I get in?" He asked, peering around.

"Just hold on for a moment."

Jack nodded, patiently remaining where he was.

"Here." Ratchet said not long after, pointing to a small opening.

Jack moved forward, carefully placing his hands against the metal.

"I don't feel anything..." He muttered, trying to stretch his arm further.

"You will, it may simply take a moment.

Jack hummed in acknowledgement, remaining where he was.

"Find it?"

"I think so."

"Good. Now push into place if you would."

Jack nodded, pushing forward with all his might. With a groan, the metal slowly shifted into place, a small clank telling them that it had settled into place.

"Think I got it." He said confidently.

"Alright, let me try this."

It was oddly...normal, or at least that was how it felt, as he two worked in relative silence. Jack stepped back a few feet to give Ratchet his space as he worked the machine, curious to see if he had helped. The medic gained a look that was a mix of relief and triumph as the machine started up perfectly, feeling something light in his stomach at the warm smile Ratchet was giving him.

"Thank you Jack." He praised, smiling brightly. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Jack hesitantly smiled back.

"Uh, yeah, no problem. I, uh, gotta go now." The teen jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "I promise Raf I'd play a game with him."

"Yes yes, you run along now." He said, waving a hand dismissively.


	7. Friends in a Different Life

**So this oneshot, between Toaxabineh and myself, is a "What If' surrounding the possibility of Jack never encountering during the races, as he never participated in them. There are some drifts from the canon, and Megatron may seemed a bit off due to that! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. Transformers and all that is associated with the franchise belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Jack rubbed his hand against his forehead, beginning to sweat in the summer heat. The sun bared down on the small car wash facility harshly, and Jack was, for once, thankful that he had taken this job over working at the K.O. Burger. He didn't think he would have survived.

With a sigh, he moved over to the nearby bucket, dumping out the dirty water before grabbing the hose and refilling the container, waiting for another customer.

There wasn't a long wait- a car, so covered in mud that he couldn't even see the paintjob underneath pulled in slowly, as though hesitant to consider stopping by. He gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile, waving them into his location.

The driver-side window rolled down, revealing a young man in his mid-twenties with fiery red hair and tan skin. He looked none too happy, but Jack offered a smile all the same.

"Hey." Jack greeted, setting aside the hose. "Looks like you were driving around when that storm hit Jasper last night, huh? A wash will just be fifteen dollars, best price you'll get in a hundred-mile radius."

The man made a face, an unpleasant one at for such a handsome face. Jack didn't say anything about it though, too pleased to have something to do now.

"Fine. Just clean m- the car." He said impatiently, stumbling over his words sightly. Jack furrowed his brow slightly, wondering what the man had meant to say.

But he shrugged it off.

"Yes sir. If you want, you can lock the car up and hang out in the waiting room,more you can wait in the car. either is fine."

"I'll wait." He replied before rolling up the tinted window.

Jack shrugged, going and grabbing his supplies and getting to work.

Since meeting the bots, Jack couldn't help but treat all the vehicles he worked on with gentle care. He knew that it was severely unlikely that any of the vehicles were Cybertronian, but still, he couldn't shake the habit.

Arcee praised him for it however, claiming that she enjoyed the gentle touch and the car he took to ensure he didn't leave scratches or chip her paint. Heck, he even washed Optimus in his alt once, and the big bot had practically hummed in delight the entire time.

And so, as he worked, Jack used he same gentle care as always.

Meanwhile, the man inside the vehicle disappeared in a crackle of static. Knockout was practically vibrating in anger at the mud coating his body. There was no way he was going to return to the Nemesis looking so filthy! He'd be made a laughing stock for months, which was, in his opinion, worse than being touched by a human.

It was an odd coincidence, though, that the human working on him was an Autobot ally. They'd never met personally, but Knockout had seen the file on this human boy. Well, if the kid did a good job, KO would be nice and let him live.

He seemed to be doing...decent...for a human anyway. Not too rough not too soft, he thought as some of that blasted dirt began washing away. The kid was actually doing a really good job, surprisingly enough. After such an awful week, this felt...nice.

It was certainly a relaxing experience, feeling soft, warm hands scrubbing away at his plates. It wasn't unlike the times when Breakdown buffed him, leaving a shine wherever he worked his magic.

Jack blinked when the car thrummed once, afraid for a brief second that the owner had turned the car back on and was pulling out. But it stilled, and neither moved or vibrated, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Maybe he was imagining things.

Jack continued to work, satisfied once the red plating hidden beneath the mud began to show.

"This is a nice color..." Jack murmured, mildly impressed by the owners taste. "Just what were you doing last night?"

No reply, of course, as the windows were closed, but Jack didn't kind.

Finally, half an hour later, Jack was finished. Drenched in sweat, his hands were smudged with oil from when he'd pried a few stones out of the undercarriage and the bucket of water had been all used up.

"Whew..." He breathed out in exhaustion. "You really had a number done to you."

Standing, Jack lightly knocked on the window, signaling to he driver that he was done.

And instead of the window rolling down again, the man stepped out, startling Jack when the door suddenly swung open. Out stepped a somewhat tall, though slim man with a light build. There was no flaw to him- not in his flaming red hair, or sun kissed skin or to his unusually vibrant eyes. Jack backed up a few feet as the man circled the car, humming now and again.

"Nice, very nice..." Jack heard him say as he ran a hand over the finish. "Cleaned out the grit in the wheels too..."

Jack nodded.

"Yeah. It's bad if that stuff is left to rattle around in there, so..."

"I didn't expect that." He replied, pleased by the result. "You did far better than I thought you would."

Jack smiled as he wiped his hands off on his jeans.

"Well, I try my best. Especially with awesome cars like this one."

Knockout grinned, showing off his perfect teeth.

"Ah, you think I'm awesome, do you? At least you have good taste."

"I said your car is." Jack quipped. "I don't know about you."

The mans shoulders slumped slightly, seeming to almost pout now. Jack only grinned, turning to dump the last of the water from his large bucket.

"Go ahead and give the payment to he man behind the desk in the waiting room and then you're free to go. I'd avoid driving around Jasper in a storm again, though. We don't get rain often, but when we do, the storms are killer."

"I'll take note of that." He replied in what could be considered an arrogant tone. A hand dove into his right pocket, pulling out a neatly wrapped bundle of bills. "Here. Consider it a token of my gratitude." Knockout said before tossing it to the teen.

Jack yelped, only just barely managing to catch it. He stared at the money in shock, mouth moving but no sound escaping for a moment.

"I-I can't take this-" He started, ready to tell the man to take it back before he reentered his car, cutting the teen off.

Jack watched, stunned, as the man took off.

That...had been weird.

~timeskip~

Jack sighed, sitting on the folding chair that was beside his working spot.

It was a slow day, and he was bored out of his mind. The only upside was that he was paid either way, though he'd still rather have something to do to occupy his mind.

He jumped when a car pulled in, nearly running over his foot.

"H-hey! Watch it you jerk!"

He paused when he saw it was the man from a week before.

"Oh, it's you."

"Yes, me." Knockout replied smugly from within the car.

Jack deadpanned.

"You nearly ran over my foot."

The man made a flippant gesture.

"I'm a doctor, if I did run it over I could just fix it back up."

Jack narrowed his eyes disbelivingly.

"I doubt that. You're way too young to be one." Jack replied, thinking of his mother. She was in her mid thirties right now and had seen many doctors come and go from the hospital. None of them had been as young as this guy.

The man seemed to glow under the compliment.

"Well, call me an overachiever."

Jack rubbed the back of his head tiredly.

"So, what're you doing here again? Your car doesn't look dirty..."

"It is actually." The man replied simply. "There's a layer of dust and grime over the car, and I'd like to have it washed."

Jack gave the car another once over. It didn't look all too bad, but some people were picky.

"Alright."

"Good." He said, pulling up beside Jack while rolling up the window. Knockout paused briefly, considering on simply letting the human wash him again and move on, but where was the fun in that? So he had his holoform step out, glancing down at the kid as he did so.

The boy paid him no mind, working on getting his supplies.

"So you do this as your job?" He asked as the boy work. "Aren't you a kid or something?"

Jack gave him a curious look.

"Of course I work here. I'm sixteen, old enough to get a job."

"Shouldn't you be learning something useful though?" Knockout inquired, trembling slightly as the boy rubbed soft circles into his plates.

Jack snorted.

"I go to school just like every other kid. I work afterwards."

"Oh, so you're an overachiever like me." Knockout replied with with a suave grin.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure, an _overachiever_."

Knockout huffed.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No sir." Jack replied, grunting as he bent down to check the undercarriage of the car. "Just making an observation: you don't seem so much an overachiever as you do someone who just does stuff for the praise."

"Well that might be _part_ of the reason why." He replied with a casual shrug, placing a hand on his hip in a very womanly fashion.

Jack ignored him, working on prying a rock free.

Knockout sighed, sitting on the curb.

"So, why do you do this anyway? Certainly can't be for fun."

"I do it to help my mom out with bills."

"That doesn't sound good." He hummed, a hand under his chin.

Jack shrugged.

"Well, she's a nurse. They don't pay her well, not in such a tiny hospital."

"I take it the this town isn't well off?" He asked, the teen buffing his bumper to a shine now. "Careful. That's place is sensitive."

Jack sent him a look as though he were crazy, but didn't stop his work.

"I don't tell you how to be a doctor, you don't tell me how to wash a car. As for your question: no. Not really. And with it being just mom and I, we struggle."

"Hmph. I can relate to that." Knockout said in return, his words slipping casually from his mouth now. "I didn't have anyone growing up myself."

Jack nodded.

"Then you get it, I'm sure."

Knockout's holorform leaned back.

"Maybe, but now that my skills are in such high demand as of late, I hardly have any time to myself." He said, smirking slightly. "All 'cause my previous boss had to go and wreck himself and my new ones a right pain in the aft." He told the teen, not caring that he was telling this to a human of all things. "Which is why I'm here now, just to piss him off."

Jack laughed slightly, pausing to look up at Knockout.

"Wish I could stick it to my boss once and awhile, but I'd get fired."

A wry grin.

"I could do it for you. I might be fun..."

Jack snorted, shaking his head.

"No thanks."

"Aw well," Knockout waved a hand dismissively. "You almost done?"

"You can't rush perfection." Jack retorted.

"Too true...I've spent a life time perfecting myself."

"Now if only you could perfect your attitude."

"Hey!" Knockout frowned. But then he found himself laughing. The boy certainly had spirit.

"Well sorry to break this too you, but you do seem to be a bit of smug bastard..." Jack said with a smile twitching at his lips.

Knockout huffed, lightly kicking the teen's leg.

"Aw shut it."

The teen merely chuckled.

~Later~

Knockout had come to greatly enjoy the time he spent with the Autobots human ally, Jack, in the months they spent together. He would come to the car wash when even the slightest bit dirty and watch him clean his body. Oddly, he found it comforting in talking with the fleshling, who always listened even if the boy was a bit of a smart mouth.

Then again, the kid only gave as good as he got, so really it was Knockout himself who was egging him on.

The boy made for good company, maybe as good as Breakdown in so e ways."

Too bad Breakdown wasn't here right now...He could really use a good buffing, seeing as he could hardly reach his backside. Megatron always did send him on mission at the most inopportune times. Well, inopportune for him anyways. He supposed if he wanted, he could use his alt mode and go to the boy. He did a good job of cleaning and waxing.

First he'd have to get some more human currency though which didn't pose much of a problem, as he could always hack in the ATMs the humans had everywhere.

He turned to the door, ready to go-

And there in the doorway stood Megatron, his expression solemn.

Knockout stared at him blankly for am moment, having never seen that expression on the warlord before. Then he managed to find his voice.

"What is it?"

"I...fear I come with grave news."

It was clear that in this moment, Megatron wasn't the fierce, no nonsense leader of the cons. At this time, he was Megatronus- the mech who had taken in Knockout and Breakdown from the streets.

"What is it?" Knockout said, trying to make light of the situation. "Is Starscream back? Did a squad of vehicons get blown up?"

The tension didn't fade.

"It's Breakdown."

The smirk fell from Knockouts face.

"What about him?"

"He has been offlined."

And in that moment, time seemed to stand still. Knockout swore his spark stuttered to a halt, and for a long minute, the medic found he couldn't move, let alone speak.

Breakdown was...was _gone_? His best friend, the one who had been like a brother to him, _gone_?

No, no it couldn't be...Megatron had to just be mistaken...that was it. His closest comrade couldn't just be gone.

But Megatron was never mistaken. Considering a Breakdown had been one of the first that the warlord had taken in and integrated into the makeshift family that comprised the Decepticon faction, Megatron would have thoroughly investigated this.

"Who?" Knockout said darkly, eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Airachnid. She has gone rogue and, as she was on a mission with Breakdown at the time, she killed him and fled."

Knockout scowled.

"That fragging glitch!" He hissed, slamming a fist against one of the medbay's examination tables.

"She will pay Knockout." Megatron promised, grabbing hold of the medics shoulder.

The younger mech shook the hand off, quickly leaving the medbay. Megatron didn't attempt to follow. He knew Kncokout needed time alone, and so he would give it. Knockout collapsed onto the nearest berth upon entering his medbay, eyes widened from shock before the soften in despair. His hands laid lax in his lap, staring down at them dully as he ran over the situation in his mind.

Breakdown was gone. His friend, his assistant, his brother...was gone.

He felt angry and confused and depressed all at once.

How...how could it be possible? IT was like a nightmare that he couldn't wake up for him, one he desperately wished that wasn't real.

But it was, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And now what could he do? He felt...lost.

Was there anything for him to do, other than patching up mindless vehicon? What point existed, now that Breakdown was gone? He didn't have anyone to talk to. Megatron of course had been his caretaker for vorns, but it wasn't he same, he needed to talk to someone who understood!

And then, his thoughts to turned to Jack. The boy...he always listened. Whether he was making stupid jokes or sharing more personal matters, the boy had always lent Knockout his time. He was...was much like breakdown. Just a little less gruff and a bit more respectful- though the respect was more so he didn't get in trouble with his boss for talking casually with a customer.

Regardless, he was a good friend, even if he was just a human in the end. Knockout always found himself returning to the boy, sometimes just to talk. They had even gone to a drive in theater together, on his suggestion.

The boy knew when Knockout needed someone to talk with him, as well as when Knockout only needed someone to listen to him. He would understand in this situation too,

It was something that Knockout had come to admire in the boy, and taking such a liking to him. He wasn't pretentious or stupid, like other humans were.

And so, standing, the medic quickly left to get a groundbridge.

~With Jack~

Jack wiped at the sweat on his brow as he finished up another car, his fourth today, and watched as the woman went up to the desk and paid her dues. He smiled, waving to the next car, a shabby looking Saturn, into his lot.

He had just started washing the car the man paying at the desk already, when a familiar red car pulled into the car wash, waiting behind the saturn even though there was another empty lot to the right. Another worked came over to tell him as much and that he would take care of his car, but Aaron had outright refused him, scathingly replying that Jack was the only one without filthy hands, and thus the only one worthy of washing his vehicle.

The worker, properly offended, left the man alone.

Knockout had to wait patiently for the boy to finish his current wash before he could speak to him, but already he felt his voice box seizing up, choking on unspoken words.

Just what was he supposed to say? How would he say it?

He couldn't, Knockout told himself. This had been a bad idea. He should just leave-

The car in front of him pulled away, and Jack was now waving him forward with that warm, friendly smile.

Hesitantly, almost skittishly, he pulled in, but had not rolled down the windows for Jack to see his holoform, which reflected his turmoil with shadowed eyes, it's neck tightened considerably and fists curled up and shaking.

But Jack seemed to sense something was wrong. He moved to the window with a slight frown, lightly knocking on the window.

Still, Aaron refused to lower it, and he knew something was wrong. Aaron never kept him waiting like this, too vain and impatient for his own good. Jack raised a brow,unsure of what to do. After thinking for a moment, he went and began to wash the car.

"You can come out y'know." He said, despite knowing that Aaron likely couldn't hear him. "I'm not going to bite you." To his surprise, the door immediately popped open, an out stepped Aaron. Jack had never seen the man look so upset and...sad.

"Aaron?" He said, standing still as he dropped his rag.

The teen moved forward, concerned.

"Aaron, what- woah!"

Jack yelped as he found himself crushed close to the man's chest.

"A-aaron, you're holding to t-tight!" Jack choke out, feeling as thought his spine were about to snap. The man released hold of him, albeit hesitantly. Jack winced at Aaron's expression, and quickly formulated a plan.

"Look, I'll...just give me a sec, I'll clock out early and we can go whoever and talk, okay?" A lifeless nod was all he received, and Jack hurried along to finish his job so that they could leave. After convincing his boss to let him go early, Jack quickly changed into clean clothing and went back out to the car. "So...where to? The theater?"

Aaron only shrugged.

"Lets...lets go to my house, okay? Mom's at work, so we won't be disturbed."

The man nodded quietly, starting the car.

They drove on in silence for a long while and, when they reached the house, there was still silence. They entered the empty home and moved to the living room, both of them sitting down.

"Now, tell me what's wrong." He said, sitting across from Aaron.

"My...my brother...he died."

Jack's face fell.

"I...oh...oh man, I'm so sorry..!"

Knockout cut off his apologies, the flood flowing now.

"He was murdered. By a woman he liked." He said, looking down while he desperately wanted to cry. But it was impossible. Jack hesitantly moved over so that he was sitting next to the older male. He rested a hand on his back in a supportive way. "He...he was torn apart!" Knockout shouted, balling his fist. "Cut him to pieces...and now what's left of him is missing."

Jack winced a that thought, but managed to not quite gag at the idea of someone being...well...

"I'm so sorry..."

Aaron's hands curled in to fists.

"If I ever get my hands on her, I swear I'll kill her!"

"You don't mean that."

"I do! She killed him! That heartless-!"

"It'll be okay." Jack soothed, shifting so that his arm was fully wrapped around the man's shoulders in a side hug.

Knockout rested his head on top of the boy's, eyes squeezed shut.

"He was everything to me. My best friend..."

Jack didn't reply, letting the man talk. They remained there for a good hour, Jack quietly listening and Aaron talking about his brother.

"That dumb brute..." He chastised Breakdown. "Going after her all alone..."

Jack managed a slight smile.

"Well, I think all us guys act a little stupid when it comes to girls."

Knockout chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there. But still, the giant lug brain..."

"Hey, he couldn't have known, right?" Jack said, trying to ease some of his pain. "The police'll catch her. I'm sure of it. Something like this doesn't go unnoticed in a town this small."

Knockout only grunted. If only the teen knew...

"I'm not going to get my hopes up."

"Well, you never know."

Knockout hummed.

"Yeah."

Jack glanced at the clock on the far wall and sighed.

"I...I gotta go soon. My...sister, Arcee, and I...we have some plans."

"I see..." Knockout replied, feeling rather abandoned at the moment, but understanding the boys situation.

It made anger flare in his chest. That fragging Autobot-

"But I can call her, let her know I can't hang out today." Jack stated, grabbing his phone. "She'll understand." Knockout nodded, watching the boy dial a number. For a minute or two, the teen talked to so done on the other end. He heaved out a sigh before telling the other person bye, then turned to Knockout, smiling sheepishly. "I know I can't really take your mind off things, but why don't you and I go see a movie or something? I might help."

Aaron smiled.

"Sure, sounds great."

"Alright then, now there's only one thing left; who's paying for popcorn?"

"I will, ya cheap aft." Knockout retorted. Jack rolled his eyes.


	8. Those In Need

**Hello again! No, I'm not dead and I haven't given up on writing lol I'm just slow about updating...now on with the story.**

 **Summary: Breakdown gets rescued by the Autobots during the events of** Operations: Breakdown, **and taken to the base,** **with Starscream never staging a rescue due to Megatrons orders.**

Jack wasn't quite sure what to think when Bulkhead had dragged a barely online Breakdown through the 'bridge. He knew that the two were bitter rivals, since before the great war and everything went to the pit. What caused that rivalry was unknown to him, as Bulkhead refused to speak if it, even to Miko, but whatever it was was Jack knew it had to of been bad. One didn't get to be a key player in the Decepticon army without a reason.

Yet here before him was Bulkhead, calling out for Ratchet as he heaved a only slightly conscious Decepticon into the base.

"What in the name of the Allspark is going on here?!" Ratchet demanded as he looked up from his console, seeing a much hated enemy leaning on Bulkhead for support, _inside their base_!

"M.E.C.H got to him, doc! As much as I hate Breakdown, I hate them more!"

"That's no reason to bring him _here_!"

"Get him to the medbay." Optimus ordered, earning an incredulous look from Ratchet.

"Optimus-!"

"He may be a Decepticon, but allowing him to offline in this way would be far too cruel."

"Optimus, even if Breakdown does offline..." Ratchet trailed off, but he didn't need to finish. It was a thought that was crossing everyone's mind. Would it not be better for all of them if Breakdown died?

Jack glanced nervously between all of them, then,

"No one deserves to die because of M.E.C.H." He hesitated when everyone looked at him, but forced himself to continue. "He might be the enemy, but...but doesn't he deserve a second chance? I mean, that's what separates good people from bad people: the willingness to give others a second chance, right?"

No one said anything, the group staring at the youth with incredulous optics as they digested his words. Optimus on the other hand was showing off a rare smile.

"You show a wisdom beyond your years Jackson." Optimus said, a proud tone hidden in his voice. "As I said, take Breakdown to the medbay and tend to his injuries." Optimus directed toward Bulkhead and Ratchet, who begrudgingly did as ordered.

"I'll help." Said Arcee, moving to haul one of Breakdowns arms over her shoulder as much as the action repulsed her.

Bee, too, moved over to help them haul the giant of a mech into the medbay. Jack watched, wondering if Arcee would be mad at him for disagreeing with her and the others.

Optimus knelt down, beside him, making the teen jump.

"Thank you for aiding me in convincing the others, Jack."

"Uh...no problem."

"Keep an eye on Miko and Raf while the others are busy. I have something I must attend to."

Jack nodded.

"Sure."

Jacks eyes wandered to the entrance to the medbay when Optimus left. Had he really done the right thing?

Well, it was too late now, either way.

He couldn't help but think that, at least in some way, Breakdown deserved what had happened to him. He had tried to kill Miko and Bulkhead more than once, and no doubt had killed plenty of Autobots before coming to Earth. But Jack knew that many Cyebrtronians, even most Decepticons, believed that their enemies deserved an honorable death. Death by M.E.C.H was definitely not honorable. He shivered at the thought of them, of how they wanted to literally dissect Breakdown alive. It was a horrible way to die, for anyone.

"Jack?"

The teen glanced over at Raf.

"Yeah?"

"Want to race?" The tween asked, holding up a video game console controller. Jack smiled.

"Sure."

~Later~

Breakdown first thought when he woke from recharge was the pain his felt aching all over his body, the splitting ache in his head being the worst of it. Was he still stuck being a lab rat? He'd thought Bulkhead had pulled him out of that horrible place... Maybe it had been one of those 'dream' things he heard Knockout talking about. Looking back to what happened, it wasn't such a bad dream, even if it had been Bulkhead that saved him. Slowly, the mech opened his remaining optic to see where he was now.

This was _definitely_ not the M.E.C.H base.

He quickly tried to sit up, only to find he was magnetized to the berth. So he had to be in a medbay, only medbay's had berths that could magnetize. He growled angrily, struggling to get off the berth, but his arms merely slammed back into the metal every time he managed to make a little progress. The noise obviously alerted anyone in close vicinity.

"What- that is enough!"

The Autobot medic ran over.

Breakdown's face became one of shock, having expected Knockout to come running. Instead he got the Autobot lapdog.

me

"You! Let out of here right now!"

"For the love of- calm down! You'll undo all of the repairs and patch work I've done!"

"What have you done to me Autobot?! Release me!"

"I saved your life is what I did! Now calm down!"

Breakdown paused.

"You...what?"

"I repaired your wounds, yes! I'm still repairing them in fact, so stop struggling!" He complained, strengthening the magnetization of the berth, causing Breakdown to grunt in discomfort as he tried and failed to move, his body stuck to the berth.

"You're gonna pay for that-!"

"Be happy I'm not sedating you." Ratchet grumbled.

"Better than looking at your ugly faceplates." Breakdown spat out.

Ratchet's optics narrowed.

"Be careful what you wish for."

The metallic hiss of a door sliding open sounded, and Optimus Prime himself came into view. Looking over Ratchets patient, he glanced toward Ratchet, who had a scowl on his face.

"How is he?"

"I've almost finished his repairs, but he will need time to fully heal."

"Good. I will make arrangements to have him returned to Megatron after he is healed."

"That won't be for a time."

"I understand." He nodded.

"Don't talk like I'm not here!" Breakdown shouted angrily.

Optimus regarded him calmly.

"I apologize."

Breakdown struggled once more, to no avail.

"Let me go, you fragging-!"

"Please tell me I can sedate him." Ratchet asked Optimus dryly.

"Not yet." Optimus replied, giving the medic a stern look.

Ratchet sighed.

"Very well."

"I have a few questions for you." Optimus said to Breakdown, giving the restrained mech a hard look.

"Like I'll answer to you." He snapped, glaring with his lone optic. Optimus ignored his words.

"Why was M.E.C.H. after you? Did they say what they were planning?"

"How should I know?! I was sent out to grab some energon!"

"You overheard nothing while you were captured?"

"It's kinda hard to overheard something when you're having your optic drilled out and your chest sawed open! Don't expect me to remember what those insects said while I was tryin' to break myself out!"

Optimus grimaced.

"...very well." A glance at Ratchet. "Do not lose your temper with your patient, Ratchet."

"Easy for you to say." The medic grumbled as he Prime left.

~later~

Jack looked up for e umpteenth time today as he heard angry yelling from within the medbay, wondering what in the world was going in there. He hoped that Ratchet wasn't torturing Breakdown, and wouldn't put it past the medic to take a wrench to his head either.

Jack turned to look at Optimus.

"Uh...should we really leave Ratchet alone with Breakdown?"

"I trust that Ratchet will return Breakdown to his fullest." Optimus assured. "However, I'm afraid that we cannot replace his optic as easily as we can repair the rest of him."

"I'm more worried that Ratchet'll take a wrench to his head..."

Optimus chuckled gently.

"No, I believe we don't need to worry about that. Ratchet has some amount of self control."

Another yell had Jack frowning.

"I'm not so sure about that."

Optimus knelt down.

"They will be fine. Jack, may I ask a favor of you?"

"Uh...sure!" Jack replied, seeming surprised. "CWhat do you need?"

Jack awaited apprehensively. What could Optimus want of him?

"I have seen Breakdown many times in this war. I believe that if he were to learn more of the human race, he may be less willing to harm humans and perhaps even willing to consider changing sides in the war." Jack blinked, surprised by this request. He scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit he developed whenever he was being pressured.

"I uh...I don't think it's that simple Optimus. People can't change overnight."

"I know, but I believe a seed of doubt can be planted within Breakdown's mind."

"I'll...I'll see what I can do. But I can't make any promises."

Optimus bowed his helm.

"Thank you, Jack."

"So..." He started awkwardly. "How do I go about this?"

"However you think would be best. I trust your judgement."

Jack nodded, though he was exceedingly nervous on the inside.

"Do I have to do it right now?"

"No. Whenever you believe would be best I suggest is when you go."

"Okay, good. Gives me some time to prepare then."

Optimus nodded, standing once more.

"I trust your judgement, Jackson."

"Yeah, well I'll put it on my to do list; befriending giant alien robots that wants to destroy the human race. Sounds like fun." He said, before adding, "You sure you don't want Miko to be the one doing this? She kinda gets along with the rougher bots..."

"While Miko means well, she is often a bit too..."

"Enthusiastic?"

"Yes, you can put it like that." He chuckled, which had smiling in turn. It wasn't often that Optimus smiled, let alone laughed.

Everyone winced when Ratchet's voice raised even farther, enough for several colorful words to be discerned.

Jack sighed.

"I guess I better head in there then..."

"Only when you think it is best, Jackson."

Jack nodded, flinching as another crash came from the medbay.

"Er...maybe after Ratchet's left..."

"I believe that is a wise choice."

~later~

Breakdown didn't lift his helm when he heard the door open. No doubt it was the medic again.

Ugh, that orange fragger was worse than any torture the Decepticons could come up with, that was for sure. He couldn't understand how the other Autobots could stand the constant yelling and throwing of wrenches and other devices at their heads. Or maybe it was just him. Yet, to his surprise, there was no yelling or grumbling. There were gentle footfalls that definitely didn't belong to the laptop. He looked to the side either way as far as he could with is lone optic, still magnetized to the confounded berth by medic, but saw no one.

"Who's there?" He demanded, scowling now.

No reply, but it sounded like something was climbing up onto the nearby trolley of medical tools.

Soon, a little human appeared atop the trolley. He was smaller than other humans. A child. Not like those who had captured him, and certainly very different from Silas. He was scrawny, downright puny, even for a human.

Breakdown made a disgusted face, growling at the teen for what it was worth. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of M.E.C.H., with the blond humans smug face of triumph when he brought him down. But the boy didn't react much at all. He flinched slightly, but otherwise simply sat.

"What do you want, huh? Come to laugh at the immobile Dcepticon? Well too fragging bad! I ain't running a show here kid, so scram!"

The boy frowned, confused.

"Why would I laugh at you?"

Breakdown was slightly taken aback, and it took him a moment to form a reply.

"Because you're human. You're mean little fraggers, laughin' at other's misfortune."

Jack shrugged.

"I don't know about other people, but I'm here to see if you're okay." A bitter expression. "I know how horrible M.E.C.H can be."

"Oh yeah? You look fine to me. No missing optic or limbs, so you don't have room to complain!"

"They tried to kill my friends. That's enough for me to dislike them."

Breakdown didn't reply to that with anything other than 'hmph', turning his optic away from the human.

Pans yet the boy didn't leave, simply sitting there.

"Ignoring me isn't going to make me go away you know." Jack said quietly.

"Worth a shot."

A long silence, then,

"Why did you join the Decepticons?"

"I don't think you're one to question my life choices, kid."

Jack shook his head.

"I'm not questioning your choices, I'm just honestly curious as to what made you decide to join them."

"Yeah?" He said gruffly, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What, you wanna talk about my life story over a cube of energon? Wait, I can't, because you're the size of Starscreams hardware and my arms are magnetized to the berth!"

The boy didn't seem offended, still sitting on the table and watching. Waiting.

Breakdown sighed.

"Why do you even care? You're the Autobots' little charge, so don't you hate big bad 'cons like me?"

"I can't hate people I've never met and who haven't hurt me or my friends." Jack replied. "I've met M.E.C.H and they tried to hurt Miko and Raf, so I can hate M.E.C.H. I've met Soundwave and he tried to hurt Miko and Raf, so I can hate Soundwave. I know you've hurt the 'bots...but I've newer really met you." A shrug. "I don't know about you, or why you do what you do. Besides, I've never had a chance to talk to a 'con and ask them why they joined up with Megatron. Might as well take advantage of the situation."

Breakdowns lone eye stared, wide eyed in shock, confusion and a bit of revulsion. Why would this little insect want to know _anything_ about him other than to benefit the Autobots with information from the Nemesis? Yet here the boy was, asking not about energon mines or the location of the Nemesis, but rather about a Breakdown himself.

"What's your aim?" Breakdown said. "What are you wanting, huh?"

Jack shrugged.

"Uh...to know why you became a 'Con? I'm not an interrogator, you know. Not exactly something I know how to do, being sixteen and all. They don't teach Interrogation 101 at school. I'm just here because I figured I might make better company than Ratchet, and I'm curious. I've asked all the 'bots why they joined the Autobot side. I've never gotten to ask a 'con their side of the story."

"I don't see how it matters to a pest like you." He growled out. "Once Megatron's done with this planet, there won't be anything left."

"It isn't like you have anything better to do right now."

Breakdown frowned. The kid had a point.

But it wasn't like he was going to start spilling his life story to the kid- not only was he a pathetic whelp, he was also a disgusting human, one that was on the enemy side. Why should he tell him anything?

Pthe mech fidgeted slightly. The kid seemed like he was staring right at his spark...

"Quit looking at me!" He said after a few minutes of staring, those dark blue-grey eyes driving him mad.

Jack jumped.

"Uh...what? Why?"

"'Cause you're making me crazy"

"I'm just looking at you."

"Well cut it out."

"Then just answer my question!" Jack insisted.

Breakdown gritted his teeth irritably, but let loose a few words.

"I had nothing else to do. Happy now?"

"Liar."

The blunt statement made Breakdown blink.

"Huh?"

The teen smiled slightly.

"Acts a total lie and you know it."

"It is not." Breakdown said gruffly. "I got tired of building and decided to start wrecking. End of story.'

"If that was true, you would've joined the wreckers on the Autobot side." Said Jack, to which Breakdown snorted contemptuously.

"Those idiots couldn't fight their way out of a scrapheap"

"My point is of you just wanted to wreck stuff, you would've done that." Dark eyes, wise beyond their years, looked up and down Breakdown. "You've got scars hiding under your paint.

Breakdown would have shrugged if he had been physically capable.

"Knockout's always insisting that I get a new paint job." He replied gruffly, which was true. Something about colors or whatever. He wasn't sure what Knockout had gone on about, but he was fond blue.

"I know where those kind of scars come from."

"You don't know anything kid. Get out."

"Your dad, right?" Said Jack, watching as Breakdown visibly stiffened. "I'm really sorry, I underspent and what it's like."

"Get out." Breakdown said, his voice a growl now. Jack gave him a pitying look.

"I know it's hard to believe, especially since I'm just a 'disgusting' human, but I know what it's like having a...less than desirable father."

"GET OUT!"

Jack flinched, but didn't back down.

"And once they're finally gone, you just want to prove to yourself that you're strong and won't ever let it happen again, even if it means signing up to work under a crazy warlord."

"Megatron isn't crazy!" Breakdown shouted, forcing himself to move, to grab at this child and _crush_ him. But he couldn't. The boy's eyes reflected sadness, even as he smiled.

"I guess whether or not someone is sane is an opinion."

"You have no idea what Megatrons done for me!" He continued to shot angrily. "What he's done for all of us!"

"Then explain it to me. I'm willing to listen."

"He ignores the caste system, unlike your precious Prime!" Breakdown spat. "He promised to help us become powerful!"

"So that's why you joined, right? Your dad made you feel weak, but Megatron promised he could make you strong."

"I was sick of being a slave! Sick of serving corrupted nobles who beat us, scrapped us, worked us to death! Megatron put an end to that!"

Jack nodded.

"Alright. So...you worked for nobles? Or was your dad one who just treated you like a worker..?"

Breakdown didn't reply, and a long silence fell. Finally, Jack spoke.

"My dad was a government official. He was powerful, had a lot of people under his thumb, including my mom and I. He didn't care about anyone but himself, and he... He liked hurting me and mom. Me especially, I don't think he...that he wanted a kid in the first place."

"I've suffered through more than you have kid! You think this is the first time I've a lost an optic? Or that I've chose to have three fingers on either of my hands?!"

"I haven't lost an eye or fingers." Jack agreed. "But I know how much it hurts to have your own dad beat you."

Breakdown then remained silent, refusing to speak with the teen anymore.

Jack didn't seem to mind, continuing.

"I've never really gotten to talk to someone who gets it, y'know?" The boy shifted, laying on his stomach, propped up on his arms. "Did your dad ever do that thing where he uses your fears against you? Y'know, like I was scared of the dark, so he'd stuff me on the basement or coat closet."

Silence. After a few minutes, Jack was about to give up on getting an answer-

"Heights." Jack looked up, surprised that he'd actual gotten a reply. "We lived in a penthouse in upper Iacon. He'd dangle me over the edge of one of the balconies."

"That's awful..." Jack muttered. "I can't even imagine how high that would have been, considering how tall you guys are." To which Breakdown only grunted, another few moments of silence passing, then,

"I didn't know humans were cruel to their sparklings too."

Jack shrugged.

"Most aren't. There's just that small percentage of the population that goes through abuse. Thing is, numbers don't mean a thing to those of us who have to go through it."

"It was uncommon on Cybertron at the time, during the Golden Age."

Jack nodded in understanding.

"I think that no matter the species, abuse is something they all have."

Both Jack and Breakdown became startled when the door opened to the medbay, revealing Ratchet with a blue, glass like object in his hands. Without looking up, he said-

"I don't have any spare yellow optics, so this will have to do." He muttered, turning over the blue spare he did have in his hands. "Honestly I shouldn't even be giving you this...we hardly have any spares for ourselves-"

"Ratchet..." Jack interjected, sending the medic a look so eerily alike Optimus' gaze when the Prime was disappointed at what one was saying that it made the medic pause. Regaining his wits shortly after, he gave Jack a stern look.

"What are you doing in here anyway? You know better than to wander into my medbay when I have a patient, especially when it's a Decepticon!"

"Optimus said I could. He thought Breakdown would be more comfortable if he had someone to talk to who isn't a giant Autobot who could shoot him any second."

"I do not have cannons like the others." Ratchet replied with his usual irritable huff. "If I wanted to offline him, I would simply cut a few wires."

Another disapproving look from Jack.

"I said I could, not that I would!"

"Yeah, but I doubt talking about surgically killing him will make Breakdown any less inclined to yell at you when you're operating on him..."

Ratchet only huffed.

"It's getting late, Jackson. I'd suggest you go home before June begins to worry."

"Mom's working late tonight." He argued quietly. "Optimus said I could stay here tonight."

"Do you _really_ want to watch _optic surgery_?"

Jack winced.

"Not really..."

"Then I suggest you move on then. Primus knows that you kids could do with a day off from the base." Then, under his breath, muttered; "I certainly could..."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Aw, admit it ratchet, you couldn't survive without Miko, Raf and I around to lighten things up."

"Hardly! I should throw that pesky femme into the brig for all the trouble she's caused me!" Jack only grinned, standing. As Ratchet picked him up to help him to the forums, the teen looked at Breakdown.

"It was nice talking with you." He said honestly. "I'll come around later, once your optic is patched up."

Jack was almost to the door when Breakdown spoke to him, his next words surprising both the teen and Ratchet.

"Prove to me that you actually interested in me." Breakdown said, much more softly spoken than anything Ratchet had ever heard from him. "Stay here and watch. I want to know if you have the stomach to see what you humans have done."

Ratchet's optics flared angrily.

"You sick fragger! He's a child!"

"If he's decided to be a part of this war, then he's no longer a sparkling! Or was that not the case with Bumblebee?" Breakdown sneered. "If that's so, then I guess your tiny scout is still a child."

"You-"

"I can stay."

Both Ratchet and Breakdown looked immensely surprised as Jack moved back over, calm and collected.

"I'll watch your surgery, okay? So there's no need to yell anymore Ratchet." Jack assured him. "Could you give me a hand? If he wants me to observe, I need to be higher up."

The medic looked concerned.

"Jack. You don't need to-"

"It's okay. Besides, I want to get to know him. If this'll prove it, then so be it.,

"You shouldn't want to get to know him at all! Once he's recovered, he'll go right back to Megatron!"

Jack sent the medic a look, and Ratchet sighed.

"Very well."

"You'll have to be sedated for this I'm afraid." Ratchet said to Breakdown, not sounding sorry at all as he placed a cord into the mechs chest. "Can't have you moving even the slightest during optical surgery."

The mech only grunted, still regarding Jack curiously.

"Better not...try...any..." Breakdown began to muttered as a sleepiness took hold over his mind, leaving him incapable of finishing his sentence, relaxing as the sedative took hold.

Jack quietly sat.

"You don't have to stay, you know." Ratchet stated softly.

"But I will. If he thinks I'm weak, I won't be worth his time and he'll never open up if that happens."

"And why is it so important that he opens up?"

"Optimus asked me to see if I could talk to him. Maybe plant a seed of doubt in his mind that what he's doing, the side he's on, isn't right."

"Some things can't be changed Jack." Ratchet picked up a tool, assuring himself that it was in working condition first. "We've both been at this for a long time. I doubt anything you say will make a difference to Breakdown."

A shrug.

"Won't know until I try."

"Might as well be trying to get Megatron to drink energon with Optimus." He chuckled as he removed the plate that covered Breakdowns eyeless socket. Jack didn't reply, grimacing when he saw the charred remains of wires, circuits and melted energon lines. Ratchet, too, looked grim. He had tried wracking his processors for a way to make the damage and surgery look less horrid, but he could think of none.

"Is this going to work?" Jack asked, feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

"I have only done this procedure a few times, but it is relatively simple, if a bit gruesome."

"Yeah but it looks pretty bad." He said, but thought back to M.E.C.H. They had pretty much mangled his face and torso.

"I can fix the damage." Ratchet reassured.

He nodded, confident in Ratchets abilities as a medic.

"Let me know if I can help."

Ratchet chuckled.

"I believe you're a tad too...small, to be of much help."

Jack smiled with a slight blush, rubbing the back of his head as he sat back and watched the surgery, stomach twisting into knots now and again. But he didn't leave. He knew Breakdown wouldn't know if he did as long as Jack returned before he woke up, but Jack didn't want to break his word.

And so he just sat there, forcing himself to not throw up.

~Later~

Jack was yawning with dark circles under his eyes when he saw Breakdown beginning to stir on the berth, a groan of pain echoing off the big lug as he woke. The mech blinked blearily, then slowly looked around. His optics then settled on Jack. Surprise took place in his face. "Still here...?" He managed to say, exhausted still, both from the surgery itself and the sedatives that lingered.

"You said to stay if I wanted to prove I was interested."

"I didn't think you'd actually stay."

Ratchet huffed as he moved to the nearby medical supply cabinets.

"Six hours of optical surgery and he stayed for every minute of it."

"Hmph..." He managed. "How does it look?" He asked casually.

"It clashes." Jack replied with a grin. "Orange doesn't go well with blue."

Breakdown snorted.

"Not really going for 'fashionable'."

"Aw, but what would Knockout say? I think he'd be devastated at your color choices!"

"Smart-mouth for such a tiny human.,

"I prefer the term sarcasm. Sounds a lot better too."

Ratchet frowned.

"Perhaps you should leave, Jack. This punk is a bad influence on you, it seems."

Jack laughed.

"I'm sure I'll be fine Ratchet. Shouldn't Miko be the one for to worry about being a bad influence? Just think of what she could do to Raf!" Ratchet shuddered at that thought. Jack grinned while the medic, deciding to not focus on such a terrifying thought, turned to Breakdown.

"Your self-repair systems should be working once more, but I'm going to keep you magnetized down so you will not move, as any movement could reopen your wounds."

"Like I don't know you're doing it because you're afraid I'll rampage through your base."

"That too."

Breakdown snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips.

Ratchet glanced at Jack.

"Do you plan to stay in here? Would you like a blanket? It is about the time you kings should be recharging..."

Jack yawned, emphasizing his point further.

"Yeah, I guess."

Ratchet nodded, going to get the boy a blanket.

While Ratchet was away for a few minutes, Jacks eyes drooping steadily now that he assured that he kept his word, he swore he heard someone say 'Thank you' before drifting off into sleep.


	9. Best Left Alone

**WARNING! READ THIS FIRST!**

 **There's a small instance of intended rape in this fic. Nothing big, but I didn't want someone to chew my head off about how I didn't warn them!**

 **Anyways, this is a fic for ToaXabineh, one of my best friends! It's her birthday soon, and she requested this fic!**

 **Also, I wrote this fic while listening to Asgore's theme in Undertale. Such great music!**

* * *

June stared at the newspaper laying on the kitchen table with shock. No no no, this couldn't be true! How could he have gotten out?

She swallowed thickly as she heard Jack heading down the stairs, quickly putting the papers away as he entered the room, dressed and backpack in hand, ready to go to school after a quick breakfast. She couldn't tell him right now- she didn't want to worry him when he already had so much to deal between the Autobots, school and part-time job.

"Morning mom." He greeted casually, sitting down at the table, plate already set and ready. Inwardly he was thankful that it wasn't tofu but a simple plate of bacon and eggs with a biscuit on the side.

"Morning Jack." June said, struggling to keep out the small tremor in her voice, something which Jack took notice of quickly. "Are you hanging out with the Autobots today?"a

"Yeah, Miko and Raf are coming too- is something wrong?" He asked, to which June quickly shook her head.

"No, everything's fine." June replied as she kissed the top of his head. "Have a good day at school alright? And be careful with your friends!" She implored sternly.

"I will, jeez . Have some faith in me will you? It's not like I'm Miko..." The teen defended, grumbling at the end. June smiled and laughed despite her unease, knowing exactly how true those words were.

~Later~

Jack stretched his arms out as he left school, thankful that it was finally over and that Arcee was waiting for him just outside-

Only to find that she was missing from the usual spot. He groaned, hand immediately going to his cellphone to give her a call. It rang a few times, anxiety rising when it seemed she wouldn't answer. He was relieved when she did.

"Kind of busy here Jack!" Arcee said and he heard the distinct sound of blaster fire that caused his stomach to sink.

"Aw man..." He muttered. "So that's a no to picking me up?" He asked in a last ditch effort.

"Afraid so Jack." She answered grimly, ducking behind a boulder to converse with her human partner as Bumblebee covered her. "I'll be back later!" She said before hanging up the call help 'Bee and Bulkhead. Just his luck Jack thought, his mood turning sour. Today was supposed to have been great! Now he would have been lucky to see the bots at all today, and he wasn't really in the mood to hear Miko complain in his ear about how she missed the latest action packed recon. Sighing, he started the trek towards home, hoping that at least Vince would lay off him today.

His small pray seemed to have been answered as he walked the streets of Jasper without much incident, a small savings grace. He could finally see his house in the distance, having taken a good thirty minutes to walk here from school.

"Get out! Get out of my house now!" He heard his mom shouting from inside, sending a flurry of panic into his chest as he raced to the door, slamming it open. Someone had broken into their house!

"Mom! Mom, are you okay?!" He shouted as door flew open, revealing his mom and a much hated figure in front of her. He had unkempt, shaggy hair that looked as though it hadn't been washed in a long time with a scraggly beard, wearing a pair of blue jeans a white short sleeved shirt that showed some muscle underneath. A grin was sent his way, icing his insides.

"It's a long time hasn't it Jack?" Said his father, who held his mothers arm in a tight hold. She would have bruises later.

"Not nearly long enough." He hissed through gritted teeth. "Let mom go. She hasn't done anything to you!"

"I beg the differ." The man scoffed. "You and her are the reason I went to prison." He spat out spitefully, tightening his hold on June. Jack lurched forward to pull his mom away, but James pulled June in front of him, forcing her arm painfully behind her back while moving his other hand holding a knife to her throat. "Ah ah. Not so fast. I think a little punishment is in order, don't you?"

"You sick son of a-"

"Careful now." James warned as June cried out, the edge of the blade digging into skin. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to her now would we?"

"What do you want?" Jack asked, body tense and ready to spring into action but having to restrain himself. He couldn't risk his mother's life in the faint hope that he could overpower his father.

"Revenge for all the years I spent in prison because of you two. And I intend to take it, nice and slow." He answered with a sick smile, eyes glinting dangerously as he nuzzled the side of Junes face with his grizzled cheek.

"Like hell I'll let you do anything to mom!" Jack shouted. He jerked forward to rush him, but stopped when his mother cried out.

"I think the best revenge would be to make you watch. Wouldn't that be fun? You'll be hearing her scream my name before the end and when I get through with her you'll be begging for death."

Jacks hands curled into shaking fists, rage filling him. He had to do something, had to protect him mom from this sick fragger! If he couldn't she would suffer and it'd be all his fault. Again. Dammit!

All three were startled when a greenish blue light emanated from the door leading to the garage. James glared at his son.

"Who else is here?!" He demanded angrily, a bead of blood flowing down from Junes neck as he pressed the blade ever tighter to her throat. "Tell me!" He shouted when Jack didn't answer him immediately.

"N-no one!" Jack answered. "It's just me and mom living here!"

"You're lying!" James hissed out as he dragged June to the door, then gestured to Jack. "Open it!"

Jack hesitated. Arcee was in there, he knew, but what would happen if his father only saw a motorcycle? Worse, what if he saw a Cybertronian instead? The 'bots secrets would be blown...but if he didn't his mothers life would be forfeited. Swallowing hard, he decided to take a chance.

"A-alright. I'm just moving over to the door." He told James, doing just that so the bastard wouldn't think he was making a run for the door or him. Slowly prying the door open, he was partially relieved that Arcee was in her alt, but also terrified. "See? No one's there. It must have been someone passing by the house."

"Don't give me that shit." James growled out. "I know I saw something, and if you don't tell me what it was I swear I'll cut out Junes pretty little throat-"

James was startled by the sound of something akin to shifting gears and metal scrapping together. The next thing he knew he was in a large blue hand made of metal, starring into an equally metallic face filled with fury. He was still in the moment it took his brain to process what was happening and in the next he was kicking and screaming to get free.

"W-what is this thing?!" He screamed, terrified for his life when he felt the fingers pinning his arms to his side tightening, threatening to crack bones. His knife fell to the ground, June falling to the ground with her hands over her head.

"Oh thank god..." Jack said in relief, legs giving out now that the danger was over. June coughed and sputter a few times, fingers at her throat. Thankfully the cut wasn't too deep but it could leave scarring. "I-I was worried you wouldn't do anything there for a minute Arcee..."

"Great see how much faith you have in me." Arcee deadpanned. The man whimpered, struggling for his life when she glared at him. "Hold still or this is going to be much worse for you. No one threatens my friends and gets away with it."

"W...what are you going to do with him?"

"I can't let him go now that he's seen me." Arcee replied, looking at the cursing human she held. "I'll take him back to base and hear what Optimus has to say. You two will need to come too so that we can get the full story."

"Yeah, of course." Jack agreed with a nod, though his mother was obviously still shaken and in need of medical attention.

* * *

"...So yeah. That's pretty much it." Jack said as he finished the story of what happened in the house. Ratchet was currently tending to his mother, so it had been up to tell the bots everything that happened while his father had been taken to a holding cell for Fowler to deal with.

"What a fragger." Wheeljack said, fingers itching to grab at his swords and slice the pathetic human into even tinier bits. "He's lucky he didn't run into me."

"Wish I had met him first." Bulkhead put in, slamming a fist against his other hand. "I'd have smashed into a pasty smear-"

"Why would he go after you two?" Optimus asked, cutting off Bulkheads threat. It something he wanted to know since they arrived. Jack stiffened a little and Optimus couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the boy when he spoke.

"It's...kind of personal." He said. "But if you can't tell, he wasn't exactly what I'd call the best father in the world. He'd abused mom and me all the time." At this Jacks hand went to the sleeve of his shirt. It hesitated for a moment, then rolled the cuff up to his elbow, holding his arm up for them to see. Grimaces fell across every face at the sight of many scars carved into the skin. "Well...I guess you know why I always wear the same kind of shirts everyday." He said, trying to make light of it and utterly failing.

To his surprise, Bulkhead was the first to speak.

"You should be proud!" He stated, much to Jacks surprise. "Those are proof you didn't give into him. They're like your own battle scars, and you obviously took the guy down!" He said, impressed with the kid, who was a little startled by the Wreckers proclamation. A buzzing beep from Bumblebee showed the scout was with Bulkhead on this.

"I-I didn't really do anything-"

"Don't sell yourself short Jack." Arcee cut in. "It takes real courage to stand up to someone like that, especially when it's a family member."

"She's right Jack." Optimus put in, nodding in agreement. "You went through a difficult ordeal- we couldn't be prouder of you."

"G-guys..." Jack murmured, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Optimus smiled softly at the teen.

"I'm here for you Jackson if you ever need someone to talk to." He said, kneeling down to one leg. "If you're ever troubled, don't be afraid to seek me out." Jack nodded, nose pink and eyes puffy as he wiped away tears.

"I will." He said, face breaking into a smile.

Optimus nodded in satisfaction, glad that his words had been taken to heart. He watched as Jack turned to speak with Arcee, likely to thank her for her hand in rescuing the pair. No one should ever have to go through that...especially by one's own father. The Prime scowled at the thought of it. While he was not an aggressive mech by nature, he could turn on a dime when the situation called for it. This revelation of Jacks past stirred within him feelings of pity, anger and sadness. It seemed humans and Cybertronians had more in common than he previously thought.

With that in mind, he left the teen and the others behind, going down the hall that led directly to the brig. The door opened when he planted his hand onto the scanner, a metallic hiss echoing through the hallway. Within one of the cells, one made specifically for humans from the time when humans once used this base, was Jackson's father.

Fear radiated off his body in droves, worsened by his arrival. Anger hid behind his eyes, though it was not directed at him. James jolted back when Optimus stopped in front of his cell, glowering down at the man.

"W-what do you want?" The man demanded in a stammer, trying to put on a face in front of the mechanical being. There was a moment of pause before Optimus spoke, scowling at the human.

"How much pain did you cause to your family?" He asked, voicing his thoughts. Optimus had to know what could drive a person to commit such evils against his family.

"The kid talked again huh?" The man spat out hatefully. "I doubt he told you even half of what I did to them- locking Jack in the closet for hours without light or anything to eat. Did he mention how he hates the dark?" He said with a twisted grin. "Or how I beat June in front of him when she spent money on the little brat? If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have spent the last six years in prison-"

The man couldn't even scream when an orange... _thing_ appeared in front of him, ending in a sharp point. It was ridiculously large and only when he fell and crawled away did he realize that it was a sword.

"You will not speak of them again." Optimus threatened, normally warm optics darkened by an icy hue.

"I-"

"If you ever come near June or Jackson again, I promise that prison will be the least of your worries." He practically growled out, withdrawing his blade. He was given a weak, shaky nod in turn. "I'm glad that you understand. An agent will come to collect you later and return you to the proper authorities. If I were you, I would resist the temptation to escape again." He warned. James swallowed thickly, wondering what he had gotten himself involved in this time.


	10. Accidents Happen

**So this is a challenge from ToaXabineh! I really hope she likes it, because I tried really hard to get everything she wanted into the fic!**

* * *

"Get down!" Jack shouted as Soundwaves mini-con, Laserbeak, flew over head. A few stray shots rained down on them, thankfully none of them hitting as Jack forced Miko to get behind a nearby boulder. "Stay here," Jack whispered quietly, edging out to look and see if it was safe when a blaster shot by his head, creating a smoking crater behind him. "Shit!" Jack hissed, quickly drawing his head back to avoid having it blown off while Miko shouted out "Jack!"

How could this have gone so wrong so quickly? Miko had insisted on going on recon with 'Bee and Bulkhead, and when she had been shot down she ran ahead anyway. Being the concerned friend that he was, Jack had quickly followed suit to drag her back to base. But it hadn't happened that way- almost as soon as they passed through they were caught in the middle of a war zone dozens of Vehicons shooting and blasting at the Autobots while Jack and Miko had been forced to take cover when the groundbridge portal closed, cutting off their only escape. They were forced to flee the battle, lest they be trampled on or blasted into atoms by a stray shot and would have had it not been for Laserbeaks appearance. And it dawned on him- it had been a trap.

Which is why they were now cowering behind some rocks to look for an opening to escape while Miko tried called Ratchet for a groundbridge. They had to get out of here, now!

"Move!" Jack shouted as Laserbeak flew overhead, shooting at them again while a groundbridge opened up behind them, yanking on Mikos arm and pulling her toward it, racing for the safety that it would provide. It proved easier said than done, as they had to weave and bob to avoid being grabbed or shot and they were almost there-!

"Argh!" Jack screamed as they were feet away from the portal, thrown off his feet and through it as a blaster collided with his backside. He groaned in agony, the scent of his own burnt flesh filling his nose as he reached out with a hand, collapsing soon after. The last thing he was aware of was the cold floor of the base and someone screaming his name.

* * *

June had been called in immediately as Ratchet, brilliant medic though he was, new little of human physiology or medicines, a fact he himself had stated needed to be rectified. As such he was unfit to examine the boy, and thus he once again had to depend on another to perform his job for him. Shame had filled him as he watched Jack be loaded up into his mothers car carefully with the help of Raf and Miko and taken away to the hospital where he could receive the care he needed.

Miko was in tears by the time the Autobots returned from the battle, a little battered and worn but otherwise fine when Ratchet strung up a groundbridge for the others while Raf had fallen into a devastated silence. It was more than she could say for Jack. Bulkhead picked up on her distress almost immediately and forgo the usual boasting of new battle scars.

"Miko, what's wrong? What happened?" He asked, worried for his charge as she choked on a sob.

"It would appear that Miko followed you through the groundbridge Bulkhead." Ratchet answered as the girl was too choked up to speak properly. He couldn't help the scowl that was directed at her, or the angry in his voice. "Jack had followed suit to bring Miko back to base and they ended up away from the fight. As I understood it Laserbeak had cornered them before Miko was able to contact and inform me of their location. They managed to get back through but...Jack was injured in the process."

. Bulkhead and Bumblebee shared an look of surprise and guilt while Optimus face darkened and his mouth pressed into a grim frown. Arcee was the most devastated, optics flaring with panic as she jerked forward to demand his location.

"Where is he? I have to go see him-"

"Miss Darby has already taken Jack to the hospital Arcee." Ratchet informed, had hanging low as he bent over a console. "There was nothing I could do...I..."

"You were supposed to be studying human sciences after what Megatron did to Raf!" Arcee accused aggressively, her whole form trembling now. Whether that was from fear or anger was up for debate.

"Arcee, that is enough." Optimus scolded from behind.

"But Optimus, I can't just sit here while Jack-" She went to protest, only to have Optimus cut her off.

"Now is not the time to be throwing around blame." He reprimanded sharply, his tone heavy and solemn. "We must remain focus and offer what support we can for our young friend. That is all we can do for now."

But Arcee was already moving, shooting a dirty look at Miko before announcing she was going for a drive and transformed, beating a hasty retreat from the base to collect her thoughts and emotions. Miko had run out of the room by now, guilt threatening to drown her at this point while Bulkhead chased after her.

Ratchet slumped his shoulders as he allowed a wave of depression to wash over him, a hand clasping onto his shoulder. He looked back to Optimus, who was doing his best to reassure the medic. "What are we going to do Optimus?" Ratchet muttered, shutting his optics briefly. "Is it really the best course of action to allow the children to stay with us? First it was Raf, and now Jack...whats going to happen to Miko? Is she going to be swatted like an insect by one of the Decepticons? Can you honestly say that keeping them here is for the sake of their safety?"

"I understand your concerns Ratchet. Yet they have helped us in ways we never could have expected. If not for them we might not be here today." Optimus stepped back, allowing the medic to mull over his thoughts.

"I just think...maybe we've grown too attached. I don't think that they're staying here is solely for their protection. We've grown to need them Optimus...and I am no longer certain it is in their best interest that they continue to remain with us."

"Your opinion is noted."

* * *

Arcee moved around the base, a nervous excitement filling her- Jack would be returning today for the first time since his attack. There had been surprisingly little contact between him and the Autobots as June, and even Fowler, had been blocking them at every turn. The two were tight lip about Jacks recovery, for reason they couldn't understand. It had only been last week that they received word from Jack that he would be able to make a visit which in turn had greatly relieved Arcee. She had been worried sick ever since the accident.

Now it was all she could do to keep from becoming a fidgeting mess, tapping on her arm as he she walked around the base impatiently as she waited for her partner to arrive. She couldn't wait- The first thing they were going to do was go out on a drive. Jack always loved feeling the wind ripping by them and the thrill of adrenaline that came with high speed.

It was all Arcee could do to keep from becoming a fidgeting wreck as she tapped the side of her arm while walking through the base in a fervor. Eventually she threw her arms down with a grumbling growl.

"What's taking them so long? They're an hour late!" Arcee said to no one in particular, a few heads turning to her irritated shout.

"Take it easy Arcee," Bulkhead put in, hoping to placate the emotional femme while Miko situated herself on his shoulder. "They probably got stuck in traffic, its no big deal."

"Yeah 'Cee! Besides, you know how Jacks mom can be." Said Miko, smiling from ear to ear. Though part of her was still feeling guilty- it had been partially her fault that Jack had been injured in the first place. Something Arcee had been kind enough to remind her almost daily. "She's a total soccer mom!"

"Finally, something we can both agree on." Arcee muttered under her breath, leaning on the walls with a scowl.

"Standing around sulking won't get Jack here any faster Arcee." Ratchet scolded lightly as he pulled away from his work for a moment while Optimus raised a brow at Arcee but otherwise didn't say anything. "Why don't you go for a drive, clear your head? I'll comm you as soon as I hear something."

"Thanks but no thanks. I'll just wait here."

Ratchet rolled his optics with a light groan, turning back to his computers as Arcee continued to sulk about.

"So what do you think we should do when Jack gets here 'Bee?" Raf asked, unable to keep the smile off his face as he anticipated the teens arrival. A few beeps and bleeps had Raf laughing. "Yeah! Racing would be awesome. And I can show Jack how good I've gotten!"

As they chatted another hour came and went, Bulkhead and Miko discussing favorite bands and wanting to find out when the next monster truck rally was while Ratchet struggled to ignore their constant chatter. Arcee grew increasingly agitated as the wait dragged on. When the proximity sensors finally went off her spark thrummed almost painfully in her chest as she saw the all too familiar car that belonged to June. A look to Ratchet and the medic nodded, opening the entrance to the base.

"Thank the Allspark." Ratchet sighed under his breath as the car pulled up, having heard enough of Arcee's griping for one day. Even he smiled a little as June exited the car. "It's good to see you again Mrs. Darby."

"You too Ratchet." June nodded, sounding as though she were a little strained before moving to the passenger side. June paused, looking back at the bots before gripping the handle. "Don't stare." She warned them as she opened the door, revealing Jack inside. The teen smiled lazily, waving at them from within. "Hang on, let me get your chair in the back..."

"Chair?" Bulkhead asked, but he needn't have said more as June went to the backseats and pulled out the pieces of a wheelchair and swiftly put them together. Eyes and optics like went wide as Jack was assisted into the wheelchair, mouths agape as Jack waved his mother away from the back of the chair, insisting on wheeling himself over without anymore help.

"Hey guys," Jack said sheepishly, beaming brightly at them and coming to a stop. "How have you been?" He asked and silence answered Jack as they stared at him and the chair he was bound to. Jack was growing increasingly nervous, thumbing the arm of his chair as he waited for one of them to answer. Ratchet was the first to recover.

"It's been too long Jackson." He said with a fond smile with a touch of pity in his optics that Jack didn't miss. "The base hasn't been the same without you."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you guys." He said, moving to Arcee, who had yet to speak. "Especially my partner!" Jack grinned widely, snapping Arcee out of her stupor.

"Me too partner." Arcee smiled fondly at the teen, bending down to be closer, a finger ruffling the teens him fondly. A twist of guilt coursed through her as she stared at his smile and glanced down at his legs. "Jack...I...I'm so sorry."

Jack shook his head, smiling still. "It's not your fault Arcee."

"If I had been there-"

"Things might be different, and maybe they wouldn't, but it doesn't matter now. I'm glad to be alive Arcee, here with you again." Jack said, gripping onto the tip of her finger, his own running across the smooth metal. "You have no idea what this means to me to see you guys again." He said quietly. Behind him June was scowling, refusing to even look at the bots. It was easy to tell what she was thinking- obviously she blamed them for her sons injury and had clearly been against coming here. Arcee closed her optics tightly- who could blame June for feeling that way? If Jack had never been involved with them this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

"So Miko, what have you been up to?" Jack asked the girl, now in Bulkheads hand that was gently being lowered so she could stand on the ground. Miko looked to the floor, holding the side of her right arm, her hair buns drooping mildly. "Hey hey, it's okay." Jack assured as he moved over. "It's no ones fault! So what do you guys say that we forgot about it?" He pleaded as the tension in the room could almost be touched.

"If that is what you wish Jackson." Optimus said and even he seemed more somber than usual.

"Yeah," Said teen nodded eagerly. "So tell me whats been going on! I must have missed out on a lot while I was gone right?"

"I've got some new battle scars!" Bulkhead replied enthusiastically, pointing to his chest. "You should of seen it Jack, the 'cons had me surrounded and..."

Jack listened happily to his stories, ecstatic to be with his friends again. There was the occasional pitying look or guilt ridden expression but they made nothing more of it. Not until his mother had snapped at Arcee. Panic welled up in his chest as the two started getting into it, wheeling himself over as quickly as he could.

"H-hey, please, don't do this right now okay?" Jack begged his fuming mother. Once look at him had the woman backing off from Arcee, appearing to be ashamed of her actions before she excused herself. Jack sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about that. She's just...having a hard time to adjust, y'know?" Jack offered up, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

"I shouldn't have gotten so worked up anyway." Arcee offered quickly, gesturing with her hands in a placating manner. Jack shook his head.

"Mind showing me the new additions to the base?" Jack asked, changing the subject to avoid the elephant in the room. "Raf was just telling me about how you guys got your hands on some new relics and I'd love to see them."

"Yeah, sure." Arcee lowered herself down, unsure of what do to when she did. "Do you want me to carry you with the chair or without...? Or do you want to move by yourself-"

"Picked up without the chair please." Jack said quickly and he was given a nod in return as he was _carefully_ picked up and placed in such a way that could could lean against her fingers comfortably without the fear of falling off as she started to walk and soon they were out of the main room and into the hallways. He held onto a metal digit tightly, having missed Arcee greatly in his months of recovery. He leaned against it with a wistful sigh. "It's great to be back 'Cee..."

"And it's good to have you back." She answered in kind, smiling affectionately at the teen.

* * *

"Want to go for a drive Jack?" Bulkhead offered Jack , seeing as he was no longer able to drive around with Arcee. "Me and Miko are gonna go dune bashing!"

"Uh, thanks, but I'll be fine here." Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, flashing the pair a wry grin. "I think I'll be fine here. Besides, I need to finish up this race with Raf!" Jack explained and the two shrugged before turning away and going about their day. Said tween however was getting up as Ratchet called out to him, needing tech support as another virus had popped up onto the screen. Jack sighed heavily, his shoulder slumping down as he tossed the controller onto couch. "Uh, he Ratch, thinking you could give me a hand?" He asked, seeing as he had no way to get down from the platform without some extra help.

"One moment Jackson" Ratchet said and Jack chewed on his lip as he waited anxiously. When the time finally came his heart was pounding in his chest as he was helped into his wheelchair. "Do you need any other assistance?" When Jackson shook his head 'no', Ratchet turned back to his computer, determined to scrub them of any lingering viruses.

"I'm going to go for a..." His sentence was cut off as he couldn't exactly call it a walk could he? But Ratchet wasn't even looking at him when Jack wheeled out of the room, unaware of a pair of optics watching him.

Jack aimlessly wandered about the base, no real goal or objective in mind as he strolled around and wound up in a lonely storage room that looked like it hadn't seen use in a few years at least. It was very much unchanged, save for a relic or two lying behind sealed doors, only to be accessed for emergencies.

Dark blue eyes fell down into his lap, where his hands rested, legs that he could no longer feel or move. His throat dried when he felt tears pricking at his eyes, nose sniffling as it quickly became hot and red. He gripped at his pant legs, cursing himself for his inability to walk as the droplets on his lashes became full blown tears that he couldn't stop from falling. Sobs tore unbidden from his throat as he cried out against the unfairness of it all. Jack smashed a hand down onto his leg in a futile attempt to feel something, _anything_!

Why did this have to happen? To _him_? He had only been trying to help! He didn't deserve this!

So caught was he in his self-pitying that he didn't even notice when a giant figure followed him into the room, standing behind the teen quietly as he wept.

"Jackson..." Optimus made himself known, startling the teen out of his depression.

"O-Optimus..." Jack wiped his nose on his sleeves, heavily embarrassed that he had been caught like this. "W-why..." He tried to ask but was unable to finish as he sniveled again.

"I do not know," Came Optimus somber reply. "But know that we are for you Jackson." The Prime bent down onto one leg, offering a digit for the teen to grasp onto and the boy didn't even hesitate, grabbing onto it as he continued to cry.

* * *

 **So...yeah. I hope you guys found this enjoyable and I apologize for any inaccuracies concerning paralysis below the waist. One thing I wasn't able to include into the fic that Toa wanted was 'phantom pains', which I wasn't sure was something that could be felt! If anyone knows, please inform me!**


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